C.A.R.E.S. Fair in Pennsylvania bridges the gap between residents and police with community fun day
CHESTER, Pa. (CBS) -- Kids were having the time of their lives outside of the Chester Police Department, jumping for joy inside of the bounce houses during the department's annual C.A.R.E.S. Fair on Sunday.
"I started doing it in 2020," said Chester Police Commissioner Steven Gretsky.
Dozens of families attended the event, which was meant to build a relationship between the community and police officers.
Gretsky said C.A.R.E.S stands for "Creating A Relationship Enriched Summer."
He said bringing the community together is what the event is all about.
"It's more important about having that community bond with the police department and the community from the city of Chester," he said.
And of course, there's nothing like bonding over funnel cakes, pizza and water ice. Families also enjoyed listening to music curated by a DJ.
Community activist Cliff Newsome said he's happy the department held the event. He believes it's important for officers and community members to trust one another.
"We all human. We all bleed blood. We all got families. They just people like us. So it's important for people to see them in both their natural environment and out of their natural environment," Newsome said.
Kimberly Reeves, who lives in Chester, agreed with Newsome. She said events like this go a long way towards building a safer community.
"It lets people know that the police aren't your enemy. They can be your friend at the same time and give you good support," she said.