VIRGINIA BEACH — Residents are the CEOs of a community who should take the opportunity to “walk the factory floor” at Saturday’s free “Community Appreciation Day” event with the city’s police department and other public service agencies.
“We hope to see several thousand people at our event and that they’ll be drawn to our tents to see what and how we work for them,” said MPO Bradley Detrich, first precinct community engagement liaison.
Last year, an equivalent event brought out hundreds of residents in early August and was called a “Community Safety Day.”
Detrich said this year, the department has booked the Virginia Beach Sportsplex for the event and hopes, by Sept. 14, everyone is back from summer vacations and in full-swing to see the number of attendees climb into the thousands.
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., representatives from various police units, city representatives, and city elected leaders were also invited for residents to meet with face-to-face and have conversations.
And, the Special Operation Division, Fire Department, and Rescue Squad will have some equipment out on display which Detrich said is fun for both kids and adults.
“Coming together in a fun atmosphere reminds each of us of the reason and commitment we have for our community,” he said.
The goal at the end of it all, Detrich said, is nurturing the partnership between public servants and community members to ultimately better the quality of life for all.
“As the Community Engagement Unit, we look to create opportunities to show all citizens in our community that the city departments, the city representatives and the political representatives for Virginia Beach appreciate them and are eagerly available to network with them,” he said.
Find more information about “Community Appreciation Day” happening Saturday by clicking here.
