SCPD Hosts National Night Out In Wyandanch To Enhance Community Safety

WYANDANCH, NY — Wyandanch is among the communities across the United States that are celebrating National Night Out — an initiative to improve bonds between police and the public during an evening of family fun.

The Suffolk County Police Department is hosting an event for the nationwide community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie, slated to take place at Wyandanch Park on Thursday, August 6, from 4 to 8 p.m.

The event will feature food, entertainment, games and the opportunity to explore police cars and first responder vehicles.

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.