NIH Marks Police Awareness Week

The NIH Police hosted their 27th annual NIH Police Awareness event on National Peace Officers’ Memorial Day, May 15, on the front lawn of Bldg. 1. A number of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies attended, including units from the Metro Transit Police, Rockville City, Montgomery County, Gaithersburg, U.S. Park Police, U.S. Marshals and U.S. Department of Commerce. Several set up tables featuring examples of gear and equipment they use in their jobs.

The banner weather day brought out dozens of kids from the preschool/daycare communities at NIH who were delighted by visits with several K-9 officers and police on horseback. Children and adults both were also fascinated by gun-safety simulator drills and demonstrations of the remote-control robot used to handle suspicious packages. 

“I didn’t want to try it at first,” said Sophia Grasmeder, a nurse in the Clinical Center’s Office of Patient Safety and Clinical Quality, who was coaxed by coworkers into a practice exercise—retrieving a bomb, which was actually a tote bag—using the remote control robot. “I play Mario Kart [video game] with my son and my cart always ends up going around and around in circles and never getting anywhere. But this was much easier than a video game.”

An NIH fire engine and other first responders as well as various NIH emergency management resources were also on hand at the event. The ever-popular cookout featured hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken and Italian sausages with onions and green peppers. NIH Police donate proceeds, about $500 this year, from food sales. This year’s charity supports families of police and firefighters who died in the line of duty. The organization is called Heroes, Inc., https://heroes.org/.

Police Awareness Week has been celebrated nationwide since 1962, when President Kennedy designated the memorial day to honor fallen law enforcement officers.