There was a heavy police presence at Salisbury Middle School Aug. 3. Not because there was trouble, but rather because the Salisbury Township Police Department wanted to promote community unity.

Salisbury Police Chief Kevin Soberick said, “It’s been a tough year and this evening has been a great way to interact with our residents who are COVID-weary and tired of being shut in and kept apart by pandemic restrictions.”

Salisbury police also brought a host of public safety allies to the community gathering. Firefighters and emergency medical workers from both township volunteer fire companies and ambulance personnel from St. Luke’s University Health Network brought out their emergency vehicles and invited children to sound sirens and sit in the driver’s seats.

The event was a local community policing event mirrored across the nation that evening as part of National Night Out.

Citizens across the country were encouraged to turn on their porch lights in support of local law enforcement, to get out and greet their neighbors and attend community gatherings like the one at the middle school.

Visitors to Salisbury’s National Night Out were welcomed by a flashing emergency management roadside signboard at the school’s entranceway and a huge American flag flying from the aerial ladder part of the Western Salisbury Volunteer Fire Company’s emergency fleet.

All of the Eastern Salisbury Fire Department emergency vehicles were lined up neatly for display and inspection by enthusiastic young fans.

Children’s games and raffle baskets from community businesses lined the front of the school where buses line up when school is in session.

A dunk tank gave young visitors an opportunity to send police and firefighters into the tank.

A bounce tent had a constant line of youngsters waiting to jump away youthful energy.

A lineup of local food trucks catered to supper time desires.

Everything came to a stop, though, when the DJ loudspeaker directed the crowd to the school’s large front lawn area to see Salisbury Township Police Department K-9 officer Brian Kulic and canine “Miklo” demonstrate the dog’s capabilities. Kulic spoke of the department’s history of canine officers and their four-legged partners.

After confiding to the crowd where a drug stash was hidden in a parked car, Kulic gave Miklo the command to “search.”

The canine went from front to back sniffing the engine compartment and each wheel well before sitting at attention to signal the stash was in the trunk area.

For the finale to demonstrate the canine’s capability, Soberick appeared from behind a police vehicle clad in a protective “bite suit,” simulating a bad actor.

Kulic gave Miklo a command and the dog dashed to the chief, nearly taking him to the ground, but as he was trained to do, gripped the arm of the suit and kept the simulated perpetrator immobilized while Kulic stepped up to “arrest” the subject.

Visitors showed their appreciation with loud cheers and applause for Miklo and his partner.

So went the evening, 5 to 8 p.m. as an annual event, started a few years ago, but suspended last year by COVID-19 precautions, came back with even greater enthusiasm.

Debra Brinton, president of the Salisbury Township Board of Commissioners, was lavish in her praise of Cpl. Kevin Kress and Detective Christopher Casey, who were heavily involved in the planning of the National Night Out event and for the volunteers and vendors who helped make the night a success.

“It just feels right and special that we were able to bring our community together for this night out,” Brinton said.