Millions of people across the country will be partcipating in block parties, festivals and cookouts for National Night Out, a campaign to bolster relations among communities and the police officers who work in them.
Odds are good if you live somewhere in the Seattle metro area that there’s a National Night Out activity planned nearby.
The annual event, which is generally held on the first Tuesday in August, is built on the idea that safer communities are forged in areas where people know, and watch out for, each other.
It’s intended to build relationships among neighbors, community members and police with block parties, festivals, parades and cookouts. First held in 1984, National Night Out is now observed in all 50 states by an estimated 38 million people.
It’s a busy night for officers with the Seattle Police Department and deputies with the King County Sheriff’s Office.
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“It’s a big day for us to go out and talk to people without them having to call 911,” said Seattle police spokesman Patrick Michaud.
The big thing about the event, he said, is that it gives “neighbors an opportunity to talk to each other about what’s going on, see if there’s something that needs to be done and formulate a plan.”
For a peek at all the block parties and other events being held in Seattle, take a look at this map. For events outside of the city, the King County Sheriff’s Office on its Facebook page suggests checking community events pages to see what’s happening near you.