National Night Out Set For Tuesday In Horsham Township

HATBORO / HORSHAM TOWNSHIP, PA —National Night Out is planned for Horsham Township on Tuesday night but residents will have to wait a little longer for the celebration in Hatboro.

National Night Out typically falls on the first Tuesday of August.

The Horsham Township Police Department will hold its National Night Out from 6-9 p.m. at the Horsham Township Municipal Complex.

The event is free and family-friendly, Horsham ChATs said.

Parking for the event will be at Deep Meadow Park.

As in years past, there will be a car show.

The department's detectives will be busy grilling hot dogs and hamburgers. All food will be provided free of charge.

Horsham ChATs said the dunk tank will return so people can try to dunk their favorite police officers.

For three tries, residents can either bring a non-perishable food item or make a donation to the St. Vincent De Paul Food Pantry.

Hatboro will hold its National Night Out on Friday.

National Night Out began out of the Philadelphia suburbs. In the 1970s, Matt Peskin volunteered for Lower Merion's neighborhood watch, patrolling his neighborhood and often collaborating with local police. He found the collaboration between law enforcement and civilians to be successful and began collaborating with similar groups, establishing the National Association of Town Watch in 1981.

But Peskin decided something more was needed. So three years later, the association celebrated the first National Night Out, which involved 400 communities across 23 states.

The 41st year of the event will involve millions of people from 16,500 communities from all 50 states. Click here for more on National Night Out.

National Night Out is designed to heighten crime prevention awareness; generate support for, and participation in, local anti-crime programs; strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships, and; send a message to criminals that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.

The annual event has spread to 17,000 communities encompassing 38 million people, according to National Night Out's website. Many of the events combine festivities with education about local police initiatives.