Please note the new location for the Kick-Off Ceremony
On Tuesday, August 3rd, neighborhoods throughout Washington, D. C., are being invited to join forces with thousands of communities nationwide for the "16th Annual National Night Out" (NNO) crime and drug prevention event. National Night Out, which is sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch (NATW) and co-sponsored locally by the Metropolitan Police Department, will involve over 9,400 communities from all 50 states, U.S. territories, Canadian cities and military bases around the world. In all, over 31 million people are expected to participate in ‘America’s Night Out Against Crime’ on August 3rd. Once again this year, S.C. Johnson is the lead, national corporate sponsor. NNO ‘99 is also supported in part by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance.
National Night Out is designed to: (1) Heighten crime and drug prevention awareness; (2) Generate support for, and participation in, local anticrime efforts; (3) Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police community partnerships; and (4) Send a message to criminals letting them know neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.
Beginning at 5:00PM on August 3rd, the official National Night Out Kick-Off ceremony will be held at the Latin-American Youth Center, 1419 Columbia Road, NW, where several local officials are expected to address the audience. From 7 to 10 pm on August 3rd, residents in neighborhoods throughout the District are asked to lock their doors, turn on outside lights and spend the evening outside with neighbors and police. Many neighborhoods throughout Washington, D. C., will be hosting a variety of special events such as block parties, cookouts, parades, visits from police, flashlight walks, contests, youth activities and anti-crime rallies. For more information regarding the location of these activities, you may contact the Community Outreach Division of the Metropolitan Police Department at 202-727-0783 or visit any of the following links for events in that district:
Metropolitan Police Department Chief Charles H. Ramsey said, "National Night Out is an excellent opportunity for residents, police and other city agencies to come together and celebrate our commitment to safe neighborhoods through community policing. We are extremely pleased with the level of participation by our communities this year, and look forward to this event."