Law enforcement connects with Shafter community

The Shafter community came together Tuesday evening to celebrate National Night Out, an event designed to foster stronger connections between law enforcement agencies and residents. Hosted by the Shafter Lions Club and the Shafter Police Department, the gathering offered a chance for community members to interact with officers in a relaxed, friendly setting, with the goal of promoting trust and collaboration.

"It was a team effort between me and the Lions Club," Councilmember Gilbert Alvarado, president of the Shafter Lions Club, said. "We reached out to the chief of police and city manager to see what they thought about the Lions Club doing a National Night Out. They agreed to do it, and we said we would work with the PD and chief on the project.

"The concept behind it was we did it years back, but it was just our agency. We had about five officers, a police car, cornhole games and a canopy for giveaways. That was the extent of the National Night Out. So now the vision for the Lions Club was to have what you see today, for a small town to experience a National Night Out like a big city such as Bakersfield or the county would have."

Among the agencies represented at the event were the Shafter Police, Delano Police, McFarland Police, Arvin Police, Kern County Sheriff's Office Bomb Squad, California Highway Patrol, Kern County Sheriff Crime Prevention Unit, CDCR SWAT & K9, the Federal DEA, Kern County Probation Department, Kern High School District Police, California Department of Fish & Game, Kern County EMS, ABC, Kern County Fire Department, Kern County District Attorney, CDCR Wasco State Prison, Hall Ambulance and Kern County Park Rangers.

Shafter Police Department Chief Randy Milligan shared, "This is a national event that promotes our community to our law enforcement officers. This event is designed to give an opportunity for our community to engage with our local officers because a safe community requires a strong relationship with its community and its officers.

"The Shafter PD already has a great relationship with its community, but it gives them an opportunity to engage with officers where they have time to listen and understand the concerns of the community. It also gives them a great opportunity to look at all the equipment that we use to protect them."

Mayor Chad Givens highlighted the significance of the event, stating, "If we can get our police officers in the public spotlight in a positive environment, we want to do that. We want to connect our residents and our first responders and build relationships. Our first responders are here not just for our protection but to build lasting relationships that go beyond the badge."

Officer Enrique Ibarra of the Shafter Police expressed excitement about the event. "Getting the community together and making sure that the community sees the great in law enforcement is very important, and today's event accomplishes that. I'm here with my team fingerprinting children and giving them ID cards so if they are lost, it makes it easier to identify who the child is."

The Arvin Police Department also participated, with Sergeant Brandon Snyder attending alongside his K-9. He remarked, "This event helps build trust between law enforcement and the community because it gives people the chance to ask questions they might be afraid to ask an officer on the street. Normally, when they see us, they might think we're too busy or feel intimidated. But here, they know we're here specifically for the event, and they can ask us anything. They get to see that we're just regular people who happen to work in law enforcement."

Snyder emphasized that community engagement is central to the department's mission. "It's important because we aren't there to witness many of the crimes, so we need the community to trust us and feel comfortable coming forward to share what they've seen. Solving these crimes is a partnership and a team effort."

Many community partners contributed to the evening, helping build neighborhood camaraderie. Some of the supporters included the Shafter Recreation & Parks District, Assemblymember Dr. Jasmeet Bains, California Resources Corporation, Strata Credit Union, Shafter Transmission & Smog, Shafter AG Solution, and Glam Salon & Spa.