Eastern Columbus residents turned out Tuesday for the first-ever National Night Out observance at the sheriff’s office substation.
While temperatures still flirted with 100 at 6 p.m., deputies and kids cooled off with a water balloon fight. Several divisions of the Columbus Sheriff’s Office also hosted informational booths. CCSO staff cooked hot dogs and popcorn, and demonstrated a drone used for surveillance and searches.
The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office brought its Seat Belt “Convincer,” which simulates the force of an automobile crash. Both little kids and grownups enjoyed a bouncy house provided by the CCSO.
The most popular event for the evening, however, was the long-running water ballon fight. Deputies, detectives and other personnel joined forces with several of the youth attending the event to keep a steady, cooling stream of water balloons flying. Several deputies who weren’t in on the fun took cover behind a vehicle when the contest became too intense.
Sheriff Jody Greene said the event was an opportunity to showcase the substation, located in the renovated Acme Delco Middle Field House, as well as a chance for deputies and residents of Acme-Delco-Riegelwood to get to know each other.
“For a long time” Greene said, “the citizens of the East End have been forgotten. We want them to know they’re part of Columbus County, too, and we serve them just like anyone else.”
