Breaking down the Barriers, at Zone 5 East Liberty's Police Open House (Photos)
Courier Editor
ZONE 5 COMMUNITY DAY—An officer from Pittsburgh Police’s Zone 5 East Liberty division shows off a police dog to the kids in attendance at the annual community day/open house, June 3. (Photo courtesy Western PA Fire Photography) On a sunny Saturday afternoon in June, New Pittsburgh Courier staffers Diane I. Daniels and Rob Taylor Jr. located a huge party for the community! The Pittsburgh Police Zone 5 East Liberty division held its annual Community Day/Open House on Washington Blvd., and hundreds of area residents met officers, ate food, played football and chess, and received valuable information from community organizations.
EBONY KIRKWOOD of Penn Hills, with son Tristan, at the Zone 5 East Liberty annual Community Day/Open House, June 3. (Photo courtesy Western PA Fire Photography)
ERIC WILLIAMS, with Alonna Mills and Eric Williams Jr. at the Zone 5 East Liberty annual Community Day/Open House, June 3. (Photo courtesy Western PA Fire Photography)
HANGIN’ OUT—Minka Mitchell, far right, with daughters Ondaisha, far left, and Tisnika, at the annual Community Day/Open House in East Liberty, June 3. (Photo courtesy Western PA Fire Photography)
ZONE 5 OPEN HOUSE (Photo courtesy Western PA Fire Photography)
POLAR BEAR—Pittsburgh residents Sherise and Alyssa Ford take a picture with a Pittsburgh Zoo mascot during the Zone 5 East Liberty division annual Community Day/Open House. (Photo courtesy Western PA Fire Photography)
PITTSBURGH POLICE OFFICERS Angela Garrett, Tawna White and Jeff Crawford at the Zone 5 East Liberty annual Community Day/Open House, June 3. (Photo courtesy Western PA Fire Photography)
“We do it because we realize how important it is for the police to be connected to the community,” said Jason Lando, Zone 5 commander. “It’s pretty clear that there’s a disconnect between the police and the citizens (across the country), and we don’t want to have that here. It’s just a really nice way to bring people together, and hopefully when we go out on the street, and we encounter some of the people, there’s less stress, it makes it easier for the officers, there’s more trust on the part of the public, and it’s a really a win-win for everybody.”
