Something special happened Aug. 1 on Jubilee Street in the borough of Emmaus.

Leo came all the way from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean to be part of it.

Music and laughter could be heard as one approached fire trucks parked near the police station. The Emmaus Hornet came for a visit and soon found itself in pictures with local law enforcement officers and community members.

Although Emmaus Police Family Fun Night has only been around since 2017, it has become an important summer tradition in the borough. Police officers, first responders, Scouts, local families and community groups, such as Coalition for Appropriate Transportation and Emmaus Kiwanis, gather on the grounds of the police station, getting to know one another in a fun informal setting with food, games, music and if you are lucky, perhaps dunk the police chief in the dunk tank!

Chief Jason Apgar told The Press, “We try to attend numerous events throughout the year, but this is a night we invite everyone to come to us.”

“Normally we open our doors and give tours, but this year we were under construction for renovations. We look forward to this event every year because we try to create an atmosphere in which we can have fun and interact with everyone on a personal level. It is an opportunity for us to interact with our community in a social setting instead of in a formal law enforcement type setting.”

“Additionally, it is an evening in which many of our partners in the community come out to support the special night. We are thankful the Emmaus Fire and EMS join us each year, so the members of our community get to interact with all emergency services in Emmaus.”

At one end of Jubilee Street, a young Richer Wang was fascinated listening to Lehigh County UAS Response 43 explain how drones work. At the other end of the street, a toddler named Everett Pascoe examined the inside of an ambulance.

Then there were the Scouts of Troop 80 who told The Press how “exciting and cool” it is to be part of a community event with the police.

One of the Scouts, Nicholas Compano, spent the evening making S’mores for everyone.

And what about one’s young dreams to be a police officer? If you saw the Shimer boys, you would hear all about that. For their mother Krissy Shimer, “It’s important to come out and show support for our police and our community” she told The Press.

Without a doubt, the event of the night that captured the attention of young and old was Emmaus Police K-9 Ronny performing his final demonstration. His retirement at the end of the month was announced a few weeks back. Ronny was paired with his handler, Sgt. Vincente Murante, back in May 2014. Both have been the face of the department in school and community events through the years and many came out to see him one more time.

Although he could have worked one more year, Murante felt Ronny was deserving of an early retirement, ensuring “life after work.”

As for Leo, you may or may not want to meet him depending on which side of the law you find yourself on. He will take on the responsibilities of Emmaus Police’s new K-9 by month’s end.