ODESSA, Texas —
In the past, the Odessa Police Department has had their block parties in south or southeast Odessa.
But for this one, it’s happening up north in Sherwood Park.
“We have all of our specialized units there," said CPL. Steve LeSueur, public information officer for OPD. "We have our SWAT team, we have our bomb squad, we have our crime scene unit, all of our specialized units along with several other vendors that attend as well. It is a free event. We will have popcorn, cotton candy, hot dogs and drinks. We will be handing out 500 backpacks to the first 500 kids and so. It is a first come, first serve basis.”
The block parties are meant to show a different side of OPD officers that community members might not often get to see.
“It's just so important to have these types of events to help build trust within the community, specifically between the police department and the public," LeSueur continued. "We've had a lot of these in the past where a lot of times when people come in contact with us, it's under negative circumstances, whether it's a traffic stop or some type of call for service. But we wanted the public to remember we are human beings, and that we do like to have fun.”
LeSueur says that familiarity can build a bridge between the community and the police department.
“These block parties are an excellent opportunity to come meet your local police department, and that's exactly what they do in addition to building trust,” LeSueur added.
The block party will be going on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.