Benicia Police Chief Has Night Out

BENICIA, CA — Benicia police Chief Erik Upson recently had another night out on the town. Except he didn't stop at all the bars in town. He and other city officials stopped in neighborhoods — 11 to be exact.

Whereas more and more cities are hosting one main family-friendly National Night Out event at a local park or venue — which is also a really great way for residents to meet their cops and firefighters — the city of Benicia and its police chief keep it simple.

Well, sort of.

Tuesday night, Aug. 6, he and members of the city's police and fire departments formed a "caravan" as they have for many a National Night Out. There's the "north team" and the "south team," Volunteer Coordinator Patti Baron explained.

"We call it a caravan," Baron said. "We go to 11 neighborhoods and we spend about 20 minutes at each stop, with anywhere from 10 to 50 people."

It is the city's opportunity to thank community members for being active in their neighborhood watch groups, she said. The roots of National Night Out are with neighborhood watch groups, and it is the way Benicia has decided to keep it for the past 20 years or so.

"It's definitely a highlight of the year," Chief Upson told Patch.

Rather than follow the chief around for his annual night out on the town (maybe next year?!), Benicia Patch decided to ask him a few questions. Here is what else he had to say about National Night Out, Benicia-style:

Patch: "What is your favorite part of National Night Out?"

Chief Upson: "Definitely meeting new people and reconnecting with folks I don’t get to see very often in my day-to-day work. I enjoy getting out in the community, answering questions that people may have. It’s definitely a highlight of the year."

Patch: "What do you think it does overall for the community?"

Chief Upson: "I hope it reaffirms the critical message that nothing is more important than community in making our city safe. The police are just part of the solution. The strength comes from a community that is engaged, caring, and willing to step up and make a difference."

Patch: "Why do you make it a point to be involved every year?"

Chief Upson: "I think that Neighborhood Watch, at its best, is a living example of what makes communities safe. We must do everything we can to hold that beacon high for others to join us and be part of making the community better. We like to say we have 28,000 police in Benicia (the population of Benicia). It’s partnerships with groups like Neighborhood Watch that help us achieve that."