'Night Out': Morgan City people get to mingle with first responders

Hundreds of people turned out Thursday for the third annual Night Out Against Crime at Lawrence Park in Morgan City, where visitors got to see the equipment first responders use in the field, play games and just interact with the people who work to protect them every day.
The Morgan City Police Department and Doric Lodge 205 in Morgan City partnered to host the event for the third time as part of the National Night Out Against Crime initiative for law enforcement agencies across the country.
Morgan City Police Chief James Blair, who is also master of Doric Lodge 205, said turnout for the night out was excellent as it was larger than the previous two years. Organizers estimated that roughly 600 to 700 people attended this year, Blair said.
Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control Special Agent Landen Miller brought Lacy, an almost 6-year-old narcotics dog to the park. She’s a black lab that also “sniffs out gunpowder,” Miller said. Miller and Lacy travel anywhere in Louisiana their assistance is needed.
Agents conduct “underage sting operations” during which they send minors into stores to try to buy alcohol and tobacco, Miller said.
If a store clerk sells the substances to the minors, agents will then go in and make an arrest or write a ticket, Miller said.
Additionally, they help bust illegal gambling, prostitution and food stamp fraud, he said. Miller is based out of a Lafayette office, which covers 43 parishes. The office’s headquarters is in Baton Rouge.
ATC agents try to attend as many community events as possible to have “a positive contact with the public and with the children,” Miller said.
State Police Troop C Sgt. Troy Leonard gave a demonstration of how a person is protected when the vehicle they are in rolls over during a crash if that individual is wearing his or her seatbelt. Leonard also displayed how easily that person can be ejected when not wearing a seat belt.
“You have a greater chance of surviving if you remain inside the car than if you get ejected,” Leonard said. “Very few people that get ejected survive.” Roughly nine out of 10 people who get ejected during a crash die, Leonard said.
State Police bring the demonstration to “all kind of events” in the region, he said.
During Thursday’s event, Morgan City Police officers helped kids with a backyard fishing game held on the lawn of Lawrence Park and also showed off the department’s narcotics K-9, Lady, a Belgian Malinois-Dutch Shepherd mix.
U.S. Coast Guard personnel brought the Morgan City Marine Safety Unit’s 29-foot response boat to the park and let kids explore inside the boat.
Coast Guard Lt. Lucas Mancini, who serves as division chief for the Marine Safety Unit’s boathouse, is responsible for vessel security and safety inspections and assists in pollution response.
Events such as the night out allow the Coast Guard to get “immersed in the community,” Mancini said.
“You don’t get a lot of interaction in small communities with the Coast Guard,” Mancini said. “Usually what they see you doing is jumping on a shrimp boat, but they never really see you in the community.”
St. Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office detectives displayed their special response team equipment including the office’s new robot, which detectives use for potentially dangerous situations so they can assess the matter before entering a building.
Other agencies in attendance included the Morgan City Fire Department, Morgan City Volunteer Fire Department, Acadian Ambulance, the St. Mary Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness and Chez Hope Family Violence Crisis Center. Food and fun jumps for the kids were on hand as well.
Pat Riggins and Emily Boyson were the winners of the “Run Against Crime” 5K race held in conjunction with the event. Swamp Pop musician Don Rich entertained the crowd throughout the night.
Morgan City Police and Doric Lodge officials plan to continue to host the Night Out Against Crime annually on Oct. 1, Blair said.

This story was written by Zachary Fitzgerald of The Daily Review staff. Reach him at zfitzgerald@daily-review.com.