Fighting Crime With a Night Out

On Aug. 7, the Metropolitan Police Department will lead the way in the District's celebration of its 24th annual National Night Out. Since its inception in 1984 by the National Association of Town Watch, National Night Out has become a tradition in our nation's capital and is enthusiastically supported by residents and businesses all over the District. The ideals of National Night Out extend far beyond street festivals and parades. The first Tuesday in August is a reminder to all of us that our communities are the pulse of our city, and that we must all work together to keep them safe.

In a city as diverse as Washington, our celebration takes on many forms, from block parties to barbecues, to vigils for homicide victims to Orange Hat and Red Hat patrols. We encourage each of our police service areas to work with their communities in putting on a vibrant and positive event. The celebration at 18th Street and Columbia Road, sponsored by the Metropolitan Police Department's Latino Liaison Unit, usually includes dancing, wonderful music and a play in Spanish about domestic violence. For years, longtime resident Minnie Green and 4th District Officer Ernie Davis have competed to create the most entertaining and star-studded gatherings. This year will probably be no different.

As the executive director of the National Association of Town Watch, Matt Peskin, the father of National Night Out, puts it, "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." And Peskin has seen participation grow each year since its beginning: Last year's National Night Out involved 35.2 million people in 11,125 communities from all 50 states, U.S. territories, Canadian cities and military bases worldwide.

Community policing requires community input, and National Night Out is an opportunity for the D.C. police to say thank you to our residents, to celebrate our partnerships and to build stronger ones. We see the strongest participation of the year -- the most citizens engaged by the police on National Night Out -- something that has helped us earn high honors from the National Association of Town Watch for many years running. Washington has placed in the top 10 cities across the country every year since 2003.

Please join me, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, and other city leaders at 5 p.m. Aug. 7 to help kick off another successful National Night Out. This year, the celebration will begin at Barry Farm Recreation Center at 1230 Sumner Road SE. Activities and events are planned throughout the city, so if you can't make it to the kickoff, please be sure to look for an event in your neighborhood. For more details, see our Web site at http://www.mpdc.dc.gov/nno.

--Cathy L. Lanier

Washington

The writer is chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.