“We’re just trying to reach out to the community as best we can,” said Hamilton Police Sgt. Brian Ungerbuehler. “We’re trying to break down barriers.”
The annual Community Open House, historically held at the department’s Front Street location, is moved to Marcum Park in the city’s German Village neighborhood. Ungerbuehler said given the uncertain conditions during the construction of the new criminal justice center off Hanover Street, they wanted to move the event to a new location and day for this year.
The criminal justice center will be the new $32 million home of the Hamilton Police Department and Hamilton Municipal Court. The police department is expected to move into the facility after the Thanksgiving Day holiday, said Public Safety Director Scott Scimizzi. He said the exterior is expected to be completed in the next few weeks.
“Move-in is a process,” he said. “We are not looking at moving into the building in late November or the very first of December ... that’s right on schedule.”
The courts are expected to move into the new facility sometime after the first of the year.
Ungerbuehler said while the Community Open House is an opportunity for the police department to interact with the public, it’s not the only way. Recently, they’ve had community cookouts in some of the city’s neighborhoods.
From 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, the Community Open House, “there will be a little bit of everything for everybody,” he said. Among Hamilton police and fire departments and neighboring police departments, there will be drone and K9 demonstrations, kids events and activities (including some activities similar to Safety Town for old kids, too), a bounce house, and food trucks and vendors.
“This is another way to reach into the community, and have the community come out and see us,” he said. “They are able to see what we do and get more of a hands-on experience. It will be a way to have a good interaction with everybody.”
HOW TO GO
The annual Community Open House this year is 4 to 7 p.m. at Marcum Park on North Second Street, between Dayton and Buckeye streets in German Village.
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