Millions of people across the U.S. come together every year on the first Tuesday in August to celebrate National Night Out, an initiative intended to strengthen relationships between police and the communities they serve.
The goal is simple: to make neighborhoods safer and more caring places to live by fostering police-community partnerships and enhancing neighborhood camaraderie. In Gloucester Township on Aug. 6, teams of officers and civilians were organized to visit various locations in the area.
Despite threatened bad weather, National Night Out was described as a success in the township, where organizers hosted block parties and public gatherings.
National Night Out began was founded in 1984 by Matt Peskin, who spent years volunteering for the Lower Merion, Pennsylvania, community watch program in that Philadelphia suburb. Peskin sought a platform to connect local groups and share valuable content, so he launched National Night Out with the help of an already established network of law-enforcement agencies, neighborhood watch groups, civic organizations and volunteers across the country.
The inaugural night out drew 2.5 million participants in 400 communities across 23 states. Since then, National Night Out has grown exponentially, with millions of participants now in all 50 states, some of which celebrate the event on the first Tuesday in October.
In Gloucester Township, four teams of police officers and civilians were organized to visit 24 locations in the area. While three locations were left out due to rain, the remaining 21 saw strong turnouts, according to township police, who expressed gratitude to all residents and participants.
“We have a ton of videos and photos to organize, so more to come,” noted the planners.
As National Night Out has evolved, it has hosted not only block parties but festivals, parades, safety demonstrations, youth events and visits from emergency personnel, all to enhance the police-community relationship through interactions. Those activities also raise awareness of police programs and anti-crime efforts.
Community members and businesses can get involved with their National Night Out celebrations by hosting and or organizing a local event with the help of police and local government; joining an event committee; and partnering with businesses, corporate sponsors, religious institutions and local agencies through sponsorships and promotion.
