The Bella Vista Police Department got together with the public for their annual night out on Aug. 1.

Capt. Tim Cook said this event is an important opportunity for officers and department staff to meet with people in a non-police interaction.

"There's nothing better for everyone than when we can have a conversation with them," he said.

One attendee, Bella Vista resident Kathy Eckard, brought her grandchildren who were visiting for the week.

She's a fan of Bella Vista's Police Department, she said, and wanted her grandchildren to have a chance to meet them.

"We thought this would be good for them to see," she said.

One of those grandchildren, Keeton Gaukel, 11, said he wanted to be a police officer, though he didn't have a specific reason.

"I just feel like I want to," he said. He enjoyed the opportunity to interact with the police, he said, and he was learning plenty.

"I think it's cool," Gaukel said.

The event gives the department an opportunity to discuss its various programs with the public, he said, including Operation Good Morning, Citizens Police Academy, Shop With a Cop and the Explorer program, as well as others it's affiliated with, including Pink Heals and Smart911. This is especially helpful, he said, because it can be hard to get the word out about some of these programs.

The activities, he said, are also a good way to educate the public. The drunk-driving simulator, for example, can show people how dangerous drunk driving is, he said.

He said he was happy with how the event turned out on the whole. Attendees seemed to enjoy it, he said, and the weather was excellent.

"All the people I talked to and worked with seemed pretty happy," Cook said.

During the event, he said, an estimated 400 hot dogs were served.