Saturday, July 18th ACPD Safety & Community Awareness Event, 9am-4pm at Kenmore Middle School.

Post date: Jun 19, 2015 4:48:59 PM

The Arlington County Police Department’s Third District Team will be hosting the 2015 ACPD Safety and Community Awareness Event on Saturday July 18, 2015 at Kenmore Middle School from 9am – 4pm.

The three main activities at the event are the VIN Etching, the Distracted Driving Simulator, and 15 Minutes Behind the Badge. There will also be FREE food and beverages, a moon bounce, and K9 demonstration.

VIN Etching is a procedure where the unique vehicle identification number (VIN) on your vehicle is etched into all of the vehicle's windows through a chemical process. This discourages car theft because to sell a stolen car, the thief generally will have to swap or alter the VIN. The additional cost of replacing all the windows is a deterrent since it is easier for the thief to just move on and steal a different car. Virginia State Police will be providing this service free of charge. Anybody who gets their vehicle etched will receive a free carwash at Dave's Carwash for that vehicle.

Distracted Driving Simulator is another event run by the Virginia State Police. Participants will have a chance to experience the difficulty of driving while impaired/distracted by the use of special goggles and/or engaging in additional activities while driving a golf cart through a cone course.

15 Minutes Behind the Badge is a brand new scenario-based event being designed by ACPD. Participants in this event will attend a mini Police Academy and a roll call. They will then be dispatched on a call, accompanied by a Field Training Officer (FTO), and will have a chance to experience a police/citizen interaction from the police side. The participant will get to wear a ballistic vest and utility belt and will have equipment including a police radio and simulated weapons. The FTO will discuss the situation afterward with the participant to learn their mindset and explain what a trained police officer may have observed or done differently.

Additional Activities will be a K-9 demonstration, a moon bounce for kids, and free food/drinks provided by Rocklands Barbeque and Grilling Company, Coca-Cola, and Wegmans. We are very excited about this event and hope to get a good turnout.