National Night Out Planned for August

Sizzling barbeques. Whimsical outdoor concerts. With summer here, these are just  a few of the dozen of community festivals to attend. One upcoming  event is the 29^th Annual National Night Out (NNO) that will take place Tuesday, August 7. NNO, co-sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch (NATW) and the , focuses on crime and drug prevention.

In particular, the Crescent Valley Sheriff’s Station will host two events from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on that day. One of the events will be based in the Ralph’s Fresh Air Market at 2675 Foothill Boulevard in La Crescenta. The other event will be held at the Vons Supermarket at 635 Foothill Boulevard in La Cañada Flintridge. Apart from local community leaders, the Los Angeles County Fire Department and the California Highway Patrol will be present to support NNO. The event is free for the public, with giveways such as safety pamphletes and child fingerprinting.

In total, approximatley 37 million people in 15,000 communities throughout the United States are expected to take part in “America’s Night Out Against Crime.” There have been a variety of activities in the past by other groups like safety fairs, rallies, and contests. The goals of NNO include strengthening crime and drug prevention awareness, promoting support for local anticrime efforts, as well as increasing neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for communities nationwide to promote police-community partnerships, crime prevention, and neighborhood camaraderie. While the one night is certainly not an answer to crime, drugs and violence, National Night Out does represent the kind of spirit, energy and determination that is helping to make many neighborhoods safer places throughout the year. It [NNO] is a night to celebrate safety and crime prevention successes - and to expand and strengthen programs for the next 364 days,” commented NATW Executive Director Matt A. Peskin in a prepared statement.