Gallery: National Night Out in Scotch Plains-Fanwood

Scotch Plains and Fanwood police were out in force last night. But so, too, were more than one hundred township and borough residents. On the Village Green in Scotch Plains and in LaGrande Park in Fanwood, the groups came together to celebrate National Night Out, an annual outdoor event aimed at strengthening police-community relations.

In Fanwood, borough police officers distributed free pizza and mingled with residents. Members of the fire department and rescue squad gave children and their parents tours of emergency vehicles. And a clown and face painter provided entertainment.

In Scotch Plains, officers and members of the department's Explorers program hosted carnival games, including a fast-pitch cage, a dunk-the-officer tank, a basketball shooting contest and and a bean-bag toss. The township's police, fire and emergency medical vehicles were also on display.

"It's nice to see the community still does things like this," Fanwood resident Eric White, 40, said. "It's a great family outing." 

Scotch Plains and Fanwood's police departments were two of nearly 200 agencies in New Jersey to take part in National Night Out this year. The program started in 1984 as a method to generate community support for local police departments and anticrime programs, according to a press release available on the National Night Out website. In that first year, 400 communities in 23 states participated, it said. This year, the organization estimated that more than 15,000 communities from all 50 states took part.

"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," the event's founder, Matt Peskin, said in the press release. "It is a night to celebrate safety and crime prevention successes - and to expand and strengthen programs for the next 364 days."

For photographs from Tuesday night's National Night Out celebrations in Fanwood and Scotch Plains, click the images above.