Third Annual “Fargo United” Event Brings Fargo Police, Community Together

Police officers played games and spent quality time with community members

FARGO, N.D. — As summer winds down, kids played games, danced to music and had fun with Fargo Police officers.

For the officers, getting to spend some time with the kids in the community is something to cherish.

“We try to make that connection not only in our schools, but within our neighborhoods, so having something positive like this that we bring to the community, to the parks each and every year is something to look forward to,” said Sgt. Kevin Pallas of the Fargo Police Department.

In addition to the department, several other groups around the metro stepped up to help out with the event.

Some think it’s an important step toward tightening the bonds between the department and the community.

“If we keep going once it’s a continual process, that way we always come together. We know we have to meet at one place for one common reason, and that one common reason here is to share our love for this community,” said Abednego Thomas, a Pastor at the First African United Methodist Church.

For the last two years, the First African United Methodist Church and Calvary have been teaming up to volunteer at the Fargo United event and they say it’s a great experience to bring everyone in the community together.

“This is what we want to see in our community. People coming together and we do stuff together. The police and the community, and all the other organizations and the churches. We all come to the event and we share together. I think that’s what a community really needs. We need to be together as one family,” said Thomas.

With family fun and plenty of community engagement, police officers hope this event is a springboard for positive relations with the next generation.

“They make the connection to our school resource officers as well as our community trust officers and our cultural liaison officers so we have all different people here, many different cultures, coming together as a community, which is what it’s all about,” said Sgt. Pallas.

Fargo Police will hold another “Fargo Unite event” Saturday at Jefferson Park from 5 to 8 pm.