Diamond Bar Takes Part in National Night Out

Diamond Bar will join more than 15,000 cities across the country to observe the 29^th annual National Night Out event this week.

The city’s night out event will be part the Aug. 8 concert in the park, which starts at 6:30 p.m. in Sycamore Park, 22930 E. Golden Springs Drive.

Admission to the concerts, and Movies Under the Stars that immediately follow, are free and open to the public. Free parking and handicapped accessible shuttle service is available to and from the Diamond Bar Golf Course parking lot and Sycamore Canyon Park beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday's performers are the doo wop group The Alley Cats. The movie is scheduled as "Cars 2."

Representative from Los Angeles County Sheriff’s and Los Angeles County Fire will be on hand to talk to residents about crime prevention and the importance of law enforcement-community partnerships.

“They will bring out a few of the vehicles and equipment they use, including a motorcycle and the motor home where Neighborhood Watch meetings are held,” said Cecilia Arrellano, Diamond Bar public information coordinator.

“Concert-goers are encouraged to talk to our local public safety personnel to learn more about how their active participation in programs, such as Neighborhood Watch, can help reduce the potential for crime in the community,” Arellano said.

National Night Out national sponsor Target will have a booth where it will have giveaways and a raffle, city officials said.

National Night Out is officially Aug. 7. But Diamond Bar, like many other cities, is celebrating it as part of an already planned community event.

Sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch the event is designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, generate support and encourage participation in local anticrime programs, strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnership and send a message to criminals that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.

The first year the event was held, 400 communities in 23 states participated, Town Watch officials said. Nationwide, 2.5 million Americans took part in 1984. An estimated 37.0 million people in 15,110 communities from all 50 states, Canadian cities, and military bases worldwide participated last year. This year 15,500 communities are expected to take part, officials said.

“(The event) has proven to be an effective, inexpensive and enjoyable program to promote neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships in our fight for a safer nation,” Night Out officials said. “Plus, the benefits your community will derive from NNO will most certainly extend well beyond the one night.”