Crime & Safety
PHOTOS: Night Unites Shakopee
The neighborhood block parties were designed to highlight and strengthen community ties.
Detective Corey Schneck usually fights crime from behind a desk. But for this year’s Night to Unite, Schneck geared-up in his official uniform and spent some time visiting with people in various Shakopee neighborhoods.
Schneck was one of a dozen or so Shakopee officers participating in Night to Unite, an annual night out highlighting relationships between neighbors and law enforcement. This year, more than 80 Shakopee residents registered to hold block parties.
Schneck visited 26 of those, accompanied by several members of the Minnesota Police Explorers youth group. Donning the Scruff McGruff mascot outfit was 17-year-old Leslie Gardiner, who joined the Explorers on her sister’s recommendation. Despite the heat, Gardiner rushed to greet children and their parents at several neighborhood parties.
But the Explorers had to move quickly. Schneck calculated the group had between seven and eight minutes to visit each party before moving to the next. Unfortunately, party-goers were too eager to meet with the detective and his crew.
Shay Christian, a Target employee and volunteer for the night, said she enjoyed watching neighbors mingle and eat together with Schneck and the Police Explorer members.
“People usually keep to themselves,” she said. “So it’s nice to see everyone together.”
Kory Zauhar jumped up to meet Schneck when he arrived at her neighborhood’s block party. The two are old friends—Zauhar’s husband previously worked for the Shakopee Police Department before transferring to St. Paul.
“I saw them grow up and saw their babies grow up,” she said, “It’s like a little family.”
Chatting back and forth, the two, along with Zauhar’s children, shared stories about spending the last several holidays together.
“We find excuses to go see (the other police officers),” she said.
After saying his goodbyes to the Zauhar family, Schneck turned on his sirens for the neighborhood children and headed to the next Night to Unite party.
“Putting on the uniform and hanging out in the neighborhoods—it’s a pretty good gig,” he said.
