BUTLER TWP — Township officials and police officers spent hours on Tuesday night walking the Lyndora neighborhood and meeting with residents as part of the township’s second annual National Night Out event.

Police Chief John Hays said three officers from the department as well as three township commissioners and the township’s assistant manager walked Bessemer Avenue to hear residents’ comments before meeting with one of the township’s two neighborhood watch groups for a picnic.

“It was nice getting out and seeing the people, and especially hearing their concerns and complaints,” said Hays.

He said some residents on Bessemer Avenue are concerned about vacant homes, abandoned vehicles and the general upkeep along the street.

It was gratifying, Hays said, to see widespread support from residents of the neighborhood. He said officers met with more than a dozen residents.

“Butler’s a different area than some of the bigger cities, but it shows their support for us and some of the things we may not hear throughout the year,” Hays said. “It kinda does give you reassurance that the majority of people are with you.”

Commissioner Sam Zurzolo, who is the board’s liaison to neighborhood watch groups and has expressed concern in the past over the safety of township police officers, called the event a vital relationship-building moment. Zurzolo’s concerns about police officers’ safety stem from recent national police shootings that have attracted national attention, as well as reports on racial tensions between some departments and communities that have dominated national news for months.

“The response from the community was outstanding,” he said. “In this day and age, with all these police being shot and everything, I feel that it’s going to maybe save one of our policeman’s lives.”

Zurzolo said one neighborhood watch group in the Home Avenue area has had a major impact on safety in that part of the township, and he sees the police department going above and beyond to nurture a more-recently-formed group in Lyndora. Zurzolo said he believes the groups deter crime just by being in existence.

“It’s going to make these (criminals) feel that they got to be a little more careful, and that they’re gonna get caught,” Zurzolo said. “Instead of having 21 eyes on them, they’re probably going to have 100 watching what they’re doing. That’s going to get these people thinking before they really act.”

Commissioner Dave Zarnick, who proposed the township’s inaugural National Night Out last year, said it was important to officials to do something new and different with the event this year. Last year the event was held in a township park on David Drive. Zarnick said the point this year was to show residents that township officials want to be more connected to their neighborhoods. He came away from the meetings reassured that the relationship between residents and the municipality’s police department were on solid footing.

“I was totally impressed with our officers last night. They kept this (meeting) going until shift change, so those officers could come down and meet residents as well,” Zarnick said. “Residents are our eyes and ears out in the community. Any time they hear or see something they feel is important we want them to call 911.”