CANINE CAPTURE—Curious kids and families watch as canine trainer Daniel Inglis plays the victim for 6-year-old K-9 dog Gino during a demonstration at the Simi Valley Police Department 40th Anniversary Celebration on June 11. IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers The last time Chris Jones was at the Simi Valley police station, the matter was somewhat serious: She was filing a report for her stolen GPS.

But on Saturday, she and her family visited just for fun.

Her 4-year-old son, Brandon, had already checked out the SWAT team’s armored vehicle, but suddenly he was sprinting toward it again. He climbed in the side door and within seconds was popping his head in and out of the top hatch, a big grin on his face.

He soon exited the car and admired the giant wheels, touching a tire’s tread and running his fingers over a hubcap’s screws. He summed up the black tank in three words.

“It’s very big.”

IT’S A BIT CRAMPED­— Girls from the Gotta Dance Academy check out a remote-controlled mini police cruiser during the anniversary celebration. IRIS SMOOT/Acorn Newspapers A moment later Brandon was pointing to a fire truck and then he was off again, joining the large crowd that had formed to see a demonstration by K-9 officers and their four-legged partners. Watching veteran police dog Gino and newbie German shepherd Titan take on a “bad guy” clad in a protective puffy suit was hard for anyone to resist.

This was all in a day’s work for the Simi Valley Police Department, which hosted an open house June 11 to celebrate its 40th anniversary. The department officially began serving the community on July 1, 1971.

Alan Barkwill, president of the Simi Valley Police Foundation, said his fellow residents should know they have a dedicated police force committed to creating a safe community.

“This is about the department: the rank and file, the civilians and all the volunteers. We’re recognizing the commitment they’ve given over 40 years,” he said. “The face of the department is the officers; they’re out in the community. There’s also a whole lot of other people behind the scenes doing good work.”

The event showed off the department’s many resources. The crime prevention unit was on hand, doling out not only advice but also free gun locks and purse carabiners. Personnel manned booths with information on youth and volunteer services, the narcotics and gang unit, the Community Emergency Response Training (CERT) and Disaster Service Workers.

Besides the displays of SWAT equipment and police vehicles, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Aviation Unit had a helicopter for kids to explore. And the Ventura County Fire Department had a truck on hand, its long ladder extended high into the air.

In addition, police volunteers conducted tours of the station.

Though Brandon was less enthused by the tour, Jones said she and her husband, Robert, “were fascinated.”

When asked what she learned, she quipped, “That I never want to be arrested because those cells are claustrophobic.”

But she quickly added that the facilities are “immaculate.”

“I do feel our tax money went to a beautiful facility. It’s clean and pristine and I’m very proud,” Jones said.

Zelma Baer, a Simi resident and management analyst for the department who served on the 40th anniversary committee, said she wanted citizens to walk away from the event feeling protected and well-informed.

But she also hoped they would view the department like the family it is.

“Just for them to be more comfortable with the police department and more educated with what the police department offers and get a more personal feel,” Baer said.

Police Chief Mike Lewis agreed. He said one of the day’s most important goals was fostering the department’s relationship with the community.

“This is an opportunity for us to connect with the community,” he said. “It puts a friendly face on the police department.”

Thousand Oaks resident Jim Tokatlian, who owns a business in Simi and sits on the police foundation board, said it’s nice to know that the department is friendly and open.

“(This event lets residents) see and appreciate how well our police department is organized and how much they care,” Tokatlian said. “The presence of the officers here today, on a Saturday, when they could be off with the families, shows they care.”

Perhaps nothing made the city’s cops look more approachable than The Line Up, a band made up of sworn officers who reunited after nine years just to play the event.

“It’s something else to see this rock band in full uniform,” Lewis said with a laugh.

Capt. John McGinty, who will have been with the department 22 years this August, said it’s always good to engage the community— to give residents the chance to ask questions and to give law enforcement the opportunity to hear how it’s doing.

“Because if we don’t have the community’s support, we’re absolutely ineffective,” said McGinty.

The captain added that it’s a welcome change to have a day of positive contacts with the public.

“It’s nice to talk to people when the sirens aren’t going or they’re not being victimized,” he said.

Bill and Valerie Yount, Simi residents for three years, brought their 2½-year-old twins, Bailey and Brennan, to the open house.

“We’ve never been inside the police station, so we thought we’d take the opportunity to let them climb all over the police and fire equipment. We thought it’d be a fun day for the kids,” Bill said.

Bailey liked sitting on the police motorcycle while her brother was thrilled by the fire truck’s long ladder.

“I think it’s a really great event to have for people to come in and see,” said Valerie, who picked up some information on the city’s CERT program.

“They’ve all been very nice and good to the kids,” Bill added about the officers they’d met.

While it’s good to show the community the capabilities of the department, McGinty said, the displays are also just fun—they “spark the imagination.”

“How many of these kids 10 years from now will be applying?” he asked while watching a boy sitting in the fire truck. “I can’t help but wonder.”