National Night Out Comes To Suffolk Aiming To Enhance Community Safety

BRENTWOOD, NY — Babylon and Islip are among the communities across the United States that will soon be celebrating National Night Out — an initiative to improve bonds between police and the public during an evening of family fun.

State Senator Monica R. Martinez is backing the nationwide community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie, slated to take place at Brentwood's Roberto Clemente Park and Wyandanch Park on August 6.

“National Night Out provides a valuable opportunity for residents to strengthen relationships with law enforcement and first responders,” said Martinez. “The bonds we create between communities and their police departments contribute significantly to our neighborhoods' safety. I am proud of the collaboration between officers and neighborhoods throughout my district in their efforts in keeping our communities safe.”

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 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.

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