Historic East Linden District uses event to express gratitude to police
By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times
Borough Council Member Leon Spence (left) chats with Ethan Cramer, a board member of the Historic East Linden Project, during a recent celebration on East Linden Street.
The Historic East Linden District in Kennett Square has seen numerous positive changes in the last 10 years, and since many occurred through a strong partnership with law enforcement, National Night Out has become an annual way to express gratitude to the Kennett Square Police Department.
National Night Out, an initiative throughout the U.S. to promote safe communities, will be observed in the 300 block of East Linden Street on Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m., and the public is invited to see a success story enabled by a culturally diverse mix of neighbors, an active community organization, and the police.
The Third Annual National Night Out in Kennett Square will celebrate a reborn community rather than focus on the call for law and order that typically anchors the observance nationwide, said board member Ethan Cramer. The reason? Neighbors in this five-square-block community have already seen the exit of the open-air drug market that existed 10 years ago. The space now entertains children at play, Cramer said.
“Under former Chief McCarthy and our current Chief Zunino, the Kennett Square Police Department joined us to tackle difficult issues together,” said Cramer. “We couldn’t have done it without them, and they couldn’t have done it without us. It’s a process and a result our borough can be proud of.”
This year’s presentation, led by the Historic East Linden Project’s after-school program teacher Katie Perigo, will spotlight neighborhood children. More than a dozen from kindergarten to middle school will report on what they’ve learned through face-to-face meetings with officers.
Those interactions have spawned the debut of “Officer Cards,” baseball-style remembrances created by children based on their interviews. “After the presentation ends, everyone will get a head start on what we hope will become an ongoing hobby: collecting a signed copy of a card from every KSPD officer,” said Cramer.
In the process, Cramer said filling the street with officers and police vehicles every year makes a strong statement to those who might threaten the hard-won peace. “Making sure that neighbors and officers see each other as people is critically important to ensuring continued public safety and community progress,” said Cramer.
Local officials, including Mayor Matt Fetick, will attend the event. Cramer said invitations were also extended to Rep. Joe Pitts, who attended last year; state Rep. Chris Ross, who has been a strong advocate for the Historic East Linden Project; members of the Kennett Square Borough Council; and others. For more information, contact Cramer at ecramer@historiceastlindenproject.org.
