Big crowds came out to meet and mingle with their police and fire departments in Benton Harbor and St. Joseph Tuesday night as the first responders gathered for their annual National Night Out festivities.

At Benton Harbor’s Dwight P. Mitchell City Center Park, the Benton Harbor Department of Public Safety and Benton Township Police Department teamed to show off equipment to kids and serve up some hot dogs. Benton Township Police Chief Greg Abrams told us the Night Out helps the departments serve their communities.

“We are forging relationships,” Abrams said. “That’s the biggest thing, relationships and trust in our community. Being transparent, even when it hurts. Transparency because we feel that our people need to know the truth, no matter what, and that’s in any community, any department.”

The Berrien Community Foundation also gave out more than 1,000 backpacks to kids heading back to school as part of the Benton Harbor event.

Meanwhile over in St. Joseph Township’s Maiden Lane Community Park, agencies from St. Joseph city and township, as well as Lincoln and Royalton townships and the Berrien County Sheriff’s Department, also met with the residents they serve. St. Joseph Township Police Officer Joshua Allen told us it was great to have good weather and a lot of people.

“St. Joe Township’s National Night Out has always been very popular,” Allen said. “We’ve always had a very good turnout. The last few years we kind of had bad weather that kind of hampered how many people were coming out. But seeing how many people came out here this year, it’s a great confidence booster.”

The breezy conditions led to the cancellation of hot air balloon rides, but police did demonstrate the Jaws of Life on a wrecked car. Kids also got to meet some police K9s and try out a fire hose.

National Night Out events were also held Tuesday night in South Haven, Berrien Springs, Buchanan, and Paw Paw.