Leesburg Police Cancel National Night Out Due To Coronavirus

LEESBURG, VA — Police departments across the country are canceling National Night Out events at a time when this type of event is needed more than ever. On Wednesday, the Leesburg Police Department announced the cancellation of its National Night Out 2020 in early August event due to concerns over the coronavirus crisis.

Since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in late May, residents across the nation have been protesting in the thousands to push for police reforms. In many cases, the protests are being met by police firing tear gas at protesters, shooting rubber bullets and beating protesters with their billy clubs.

The National Night Out community event is normally hosted at numerous sites nationwide on the evening of the first Tuesday of August. "This difficult decision was made in order to safeguard our community and our officers," the Leesburg Police Department said.

Instead of holding the event on the first Tuesday in August, police departments in other parts of the country have pushed back the 2020 National Night Out to Oct. 6. Leesburg did not indicate whether its police department planned to reschedule the event for October.

The event is a casual event held in neighborhoods where residents and police officers can chat about policing and community safety while enjoying a hot dog or hamburger. This year would have been the perfect opportunity for residents and police to discuss policing and reform efforts in a non-confrontational environment.

National Night Out has been held annually since 1984, and is sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch in the United States. The event began with neighbors turning on their porch lights and sitting in front of their homes.