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.
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.
Berlin Borough joined the nationwide celebration on Aug. 6 with police, Berlin Fire Company No. 1, Berlin EMS and representatives of the borough office of emergency management on hand.
As National Night Out has evolved, participants have 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.
