Oak Forest Goes All Out for National Night Out

Oak Forest Police K-9 Officer Orry has a fanbase, so it was no surprise that a crowd lined the sidewalk outside city hall for a live demonstration by the furry member of the force. Orry was a main attraction during National Night Out Tuesday, August 2.

But before Orry made his big, barking debut, inside a crowd gathered for a presentation by Cook County Assistant State's Attorney Shauna Bolikar.

"Life is different, and the world is different, and every time those police officers put on their uniforms, put on their gun, a detective goes out on the street in plain clothes, the game is completely different rules," Bolikar said.

"That's why a night like this, bringing the attention, the education to our community is so very important. Because the rules have changed, and unfortunately the bad guys' rules have changed."

The night's activities included Bolikar's speech, followed by a presentation on gang awareness by Commander Leo Schmitz of the Chicago Police Department. Schmitz heads up the Gang Unit and spoke to residents about what type of activity to look for if gangs are trying to enter a community and, what parents should look for in behavioral changes of their children if they are being recruited into a gang.

Cub Scout Pack 348 sold hot dogs and raffle tickets throughout the event. Outside, kids checked out a truck packed with equipment from the South Suburban Emergency Response Team—including M16s, spiper rifles and bulletproof vests.

Check out the video for more on the evening's activities.