Police look to build public trust, boost relationships during Aliquippa’s first National Night Out

ALIQUIPPA, Pa. — One month after a Fourth of July weekend shooting left four people injured, National Night Out is allowing Aliquippa police and other first responders to take a different approach to connecting with the community.

Instead of meeting residents during emergencies, officers spent Tuesday evening sharing food, games and conversation during the city’s first-ever National Night Out celebration at Uncommon Grounds Cafe.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to get out and interact with the public,” Sgt. David Mosura told Channel 11.

The annual nationwide event is designed to strengthen relationships between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

In Aliquippa, it brought together police officers, first responders, local organizations and families for an evening focused on building trust outside of emergency situations.

Mosura said those informal conversations can help people see officers beyond the badge.

“They get to know the person and not the guy in the uniform,” he said.

The event comes just weeks after a July 4 weekend shooting in the Linmar Terrace neighborhood that injured four people.

Following the shooting, Aliquippa Police Chief John Lane posted a public message on Facebook expressing concern over a lack of witness cooperation, saying investigators were struggling to gather information from the community.

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No arrests have been announced in the case.

That was one of the reasons Andrenna Williams, owner of Uncommon Grounds Cafe, partnered with city officials to bring National Night Out to Aliquippa.

“Because they see them show up when things are going awry, or there’s negative things going on, they don’t often get to see them in a positive light,” Williams said.

She hopes giving children and adults the chance to interact with officers in a relaxed setting will help ease fears and strengthen relationships.

“Just letting people see that the police is here to serve you, to protect you and to be your friends,” Williams said.

Organizers say Tuesday’s event is only the beginning.

They already have additional community outreach events planned in the months ahead as they continue working to build stronger connections between residents and law enforcement.

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