Wet weather and a soggy Mills Park resulted in a decision to cancel the National Night Out event scheduled there Tuesday afternoon and evening, according to the Carson City Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff Ken Furlong, speaking on behalf of law enforcement and others in public safety, offered apologies for any inconvenience. But in his news release put out by City Hall late Monday, both the park’s saturated condition from continuing rain and the public safety equipment that would have been on hand were cited as reasons.
“It has been determined that with our current ground saturation from the rain, the quantity of “heavy” public safety vehicles, aircraft and equipment that was scheduled to be on the grassy area of the park would cause irreparable damage,” according to the release. “Further, at this late hour there is insufficient time to orchestrate a reasonable relocation....”
Next year the Sheriff’s Office plans to hold another such event.
The sheriff’s release said Carson City is fortunate to have the major park, noting it is used by families and for recreation and must be preserved for year-round use.
“To damage the park whatsoever is just not an option” to put on a one-time event for three hours, according to the city government release. National Night Out is done each year in communities across the nation. It has been held for 31 years nationally. This would have been Carson City’s 12th annual event. The theme was neighborhood outreach and the goal to continue community/law enforcement interaction “to give crime the boot.”