By Sam Skopp
Santa Monica is celebrating its parks – with the latest renovation of Reed Park on 7th Street and Lincoln Boulevard seeing Saturday, April 8, draw a fun crowd. The Santa Monica Police Department invited Santa Monica locals to “Meet Your Community” with promotions and activities aimed at introducing city residents to their neighbors.
“Today we’re at Reed Park, helping to reactivate the park and getting to know the community. We’re encouraging neighbors and different organizations to come out and meet their neighbors, and meet the different stakeholders here around Reed Park,” Officer Suzie Lockwood told Westside Today.
“Meet Your Community” is part of the initiative spurred by the citywide Wellness project, aimed at getting Santa Monica locals to be happy and engaged citizens, and includes a contest in which anyone who participates in getting to know one of their neighbors can post about what they’ve done and notify the Santa Monica P.D. using hashtag #NeighborlySM to be entered into a raffle, the winner of which will receive a block party handled and organized by the Police Department.
“It’s just a beautiful day here out at the park, giving everyone a chance to enjoy the new renovations that we’ve done here at the park and enjoy a wonderful day with your neighbors,” said Officer Peter Lashley, who was on-hand at the event alongside Lockwood.
Upcoming Santa Monica P.D. events at Reed Park include a movie screening in July, and evening storytelling by city employees who will read children’s books, encouraging family participation. The park also hosts “Mommy and Me” soccer, Zumba dance instruction, children’s dance by Funky Divas & Dudes and Cardboard Community which invites children to construct cardboard cities.
For more information about the “Meet Your Community” initiative and upcoming Santa Monica P.D. sponsored events, visit santamonicapd.org.
