Dewey Community Appreciation and Public Safety Day set Sept. 20
The Dewey Beach Lions Club and Dewey Beach Police Department will co-host the second annual Community Appreciation and Public Safety Day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 20, at the Lions Club on McKinley Avenue.
The event is free, including food and drinks, and will feature a DJ and entertainment for all ages.
“For us, it’s really [about] partnering with the community so they can feel closer to us,” said Dewey Police Chief Constance Speake. “They can ask us questions; we’re going to have all our equipment out there. We’ve got a lot of people coming, a lot of effort put into it.”
She’s hoping for a good turnout this year and is encouraging families to bring their children.
“From my perspective, with younger kids, just going and talking to a first responder, [showing them] they’re not scary, they’re approachable, they’re here to help and support you in your needs, and they do really amazing things,” said Jacklyn Cramer, Dewey Beach Police Department administrative assistant.
Folks will have an opportunity to meet firefighters from the Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Company, as well as police officers from the Dewey Beach PD, Rehoboth Beach PD, Ocean View PD, Fenwick Island PD, Lewes PD, Bethany Beach PD, South Bethany PD, Milton PD, Dagsboro PD and Delaware State Police.
There will be police K-9 demonstrations, a car-cutting demonstration by the RBVFC, a DUI/distracted driving simulator courtesy of the Division of Alcohol & Tobacco Enforcement, and even a Delaware State Police bomb robot demonstration and interactive station for kids.
Representatives from Delaware Health and Social Services will distribute free naloxone (Narcan) kits.
There will also be kids’ games, crafts, balloon art, a moon bounce, face painting, the Cape Henlopen School District Bookmobile and live farm animals courtesy of Cape High’s FFA.
Representatives from the Rehoboth Art League, the YMCA, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, the Division of Alcohol & Tobacco Enforcement, the Sussex County Moose Lodge and Partners in Public Safety Solutions Inc. are also expected to attend.
Dewey held its first Public Safety Day in 2024. The Lions Club started its annual Community Day several years ago and has been hosting events since the 1950s.
This is the first year that the two events will be combined.
Ellen McIntyre is a reporter covering education and all things Dewey Beach. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Penn State - Schreyer Honors College in May 2024, then completed an internship writing for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. In 2023, she covered the Women’s World Cup in New Zealand as a freelancer for the Associated Press and saw her work published by outlets including The Washington Post and Fox Sports. Her variety of reporting experience covers crime and courts, investigations, politics and the arts. As a Hockessin, Delaware native, Ellen is happy to be back in her home state, though she enjoys traveling and learning about new cultures. She also loves live music, reading, hiking and spending time in nature.
