Awash in food, conversations, and rain, 2023 National Night Out is a success in Eagle County
Food, conversations, and rain feature heavily in Tuesday events for law enforcement agencies
Zoe Goldstein/Vail Daily
This year’s National Night Out looked a little soggier than usual, but that did little to dampen the high spirits of those who attended. Local law enforcement officers and first responders were stationed in carefully selected locations throughout the valley, sharing games and activities, food and drinks, and casual conversations with community members.
For local law enforcement officers, the yearly event serves as an opportunity to connect with the communities they serve in an informal setting. While many people experience law enforcement only in their worst moments, National Night Out aims to build comfort in engaging with law enforcement.
“Events like this are a lot of fun. It’s one of the best things we can do,” said Derek Bos, the chief of police for the town of Eagle. “It’s a very positive interaction for us with the community. Most of our interactions are not so positive, so just having this kind of an interface is great. I think it’s good for the officers and it’s good for the community.”
Tuesday evening’s rain hit some stations harder than others, treating Vail to a lightning show and Minturn to a downpour. Clearing the mudslide on Highway 24 delayed the fire department team heading to the EagleVail Pavilion. Other locations were doused intermittently, but throughout Eagle County, the stations were awash in fun, with activities specifically aimed to engage children.
“It’s a good opportunity for the community, law enforcement, and first responders to get to know each other, and to build relationships,” said Cory Diss, a sergeant with the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office. “Especially for the kiddos, to come out and know that first responders are here to help, and to not be scared, if an emergency comes up, and first responders arrive, (to know) that they can feel safe.”
Support Local Journalism
Police Sergeant Becca Anderson with the Vail Police Department said the Middle Creek Village station in Vail saw great engagement from local kids.
“The kids cleaned us out of whistles, and really cleaned us out of footballs,” she said. “And then I let them see my handcuffs, and they took off with those.”
“I finally said, my name is on them, you have to give them back,” Anderson said with a laugh.
Dominik Scriver, an officer with the Eagle Police Department who serves as a school resource officer for local schools, grew up in Eagle and experienced the correctional side of law enforcement.
“I always had interactions with the police officers, with the town of Eagle police and the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office. But I was on the other end, getting in trouble by them,” Scriver said. “I was able to internalize everything like, ‘Oh, I’m the one that screwed up, it’s not the cops’ fault.’ I saw the backseat of a cop car and I was like, ‘I should be a cop.”
Be more informed in 2025.
Sign up for daily or weekly newsletters at VailDaily.com/newsletter
To Scriver, National Night Out provides an important opportunity for community members to get to know their local officers in a positive setting.
“It’s nice just to be able to humanize police officers more, and not just see us as people that show up only on a bad occasion,” he said.
The officers running the Middle Creek Village station in Vail ensured they included every member of the community. Patricia Foxwell, a born-and-raised Eagle County resident who has lived in the area since 1963, brought her dog, Little Bear, a 130-pound Saint Bernard-Pyrenees-Husky mix. Little Bear took advantage of the Vail Police Department’s ample barbecue offerings, much to the amusement of local officers and residents of the building.
“He has had two hamburgers, two hotdogs, and two stolen chocolate chip cookies,” she said. Foxwell’s numbers were quickly corrected by a nearby officer: The bear-sized dog put down three hot dogs, not two.
With ample food, friendly officers, and excellent knickknacks, the goodwill of the event transferred easily to those who attended.
“You get to meet and greet with the cops, and say hi to everybody, and get food on top of it, I’m in,” said Dan Mosbacher, a Timber Ridge Village resident who has lived in the valley for five years.
The 2023 National Night Out may have looked a little different with the rain, but the spirit of the event remained the same.
“The Vail Police Department has a great existing relationship with the community, and this is just another way that we like to show that all of our officers can be friendly and approachable, and the bottom line is that we’re here to help the residents and guests of Vail,” said Greg Schwartz, the community liaison officer for the Vail Police Department.
