National Night Out Returns To Owings Mills, Reisterstown In 2021

OWINGS MILLS, MD — National Night Out 2021 events around Owings Mills and Reisterstown on Aug. 3 are part of a nationwide push to strengthen police and community relations.

The nationwide event “promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer,” according to the National Association of Town Watch, the organization that founded the annual early August event in 1984.

Here are some of the events held in coordination with the Franklin Precinct:

• Gathering sponsored by the New Towne Community Association
  • Location: Central Park, 853 New Town Blvd., Owings Mills, MD 21117
  • Time: 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 3
  • McGruff and the fire department will be in attendance at the event, where topics to be addressed include home and personal security, domestic violence, security surveys and child seat installation. Children's activities will be offered.
• Gathering sponsored by Chartley HOA, Country Club Estates Community Association
  • Location: Chartley Shopping Center, 100 Chartley Dr., Reisterstown, MD 21136
  • Time: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
  • McGruff, the fire department, mobile command post, DJ and BGE will be in attendance. BGE will do a demonstration. There will also be coverage of topics such as home security, personal security, security surveys, domestic violence and child seat installation.

See the full list of National Night Out activities in Baltimore County for 2021.

Many National Night Out events are back in 2021 after widespread cancellations last summer due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In 2020, the Baltimore County Police Department moved its National Night Out events to October due to the virus.

Since 1984, communities across the country have held National Night Out events on the first Tuesday of August. Block parties, festivals, parades, cookouts and other community events have been popular ways to celebrate the outreach-focused event.

More than 2 million Americans took part in the first National Night Out. Now, the event is celebrated in more than 16,000 communities across all 50 states, according to the National Association of Town Watch.