St. Paul police will resume their weekly community cookout Thursday after the event was canceled two weeks in row.
Last week, the department announced that their Safe Summer Nights program will not be held as planned at Dayton's Bluff Recreation Center "in light of recent events." The cancellation after Philando Castile was fatally shot by police in Falcon Heights, which stirred hundreds of demonstrators to camp out at the governor's residence on Summit Avenue.
"We had just seen protests and a riot and emotions were raw," said police spokesman Steve Linders. "And officers were working longer hours so our resources were stretched thin."
The event was also canceled on July 7, the day after Castile was shot, because of inclement weather.
Safe Summer Nights will resume at Hamline Park, located at 1564 Lafond Av. Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m.
It is the third year the department will host the barbecues, which are free and open to the public. The Safe Summer Nights program is designed to "provide opportunities for police officers to become acquainted with residents of the neighborhoods they serve over a meal rather than during times of trouble," according to the department's website.
Karen Zamora
