CEDAR HILL – While both Lancaster and DeSoto held their National Night Out (NNO) events in August this year, Cedar Hill is having its NNO event on October 5.
Cities in the hotter areas of the country are given the choice to hold the event in August or October and in previous pre-COVID-19 years some cities in Texas even held two events per year.
Lancaster Police Chief Sam Urbanski said of the City of Lancaster’s event earlier this year “The Lancaster Police Department looks forward to working with residents each year during National Night Out to strengthen the city’s community involvement and to increase citizen and Police Department relationships.”
Cedar Hill NNO Kick Off Event
Several weeks ago the Cedar Hill Police Department held its National Night Out Kick Off party to prepare for October’s upcoming event.
The department reminded residents in attendance of the importance of this annual community-building campaign.
With that in mind, every year in September, one month before National Night Out in October, the Police Department hosts the Kickoff Party. Neighborhood crime watch coordinators and block captains who play an integral part in the many crime watch groups in the City gather to get excited about NNO.
“We rely on our neighborhood crime watch coordinators and block captains to engage their neighbors throughout the year and they also organize our many crime watch meetings,” Cedar Hill Police Chief Ely Reyes said.
The party is also hosted as a way to thank these individuals for their hard work. Cities use it to encourage them ahead of the National Night Out Event.
The kickoff party also allows the Police and Community Team (PACT) to assist these coordinators with the October 5 event, where NNO materials, fans, balloons and other items are distributed in order to make the NNO parties a success.
This year’s National Night Kickoff Party was held at the Grady Lamb Building in Cedar Hill Approximately 30 members of the community attended. Other attendees included City Manager Greg Porter, Assistant City Manager Alison Ream, Mayor Stephen Mason and members of Citizens on Patrol and Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association, as well as the PACT Team and members of the city’s Police Department.
Cedar Hill Recognized for its Annual NNO
In 2019, Cedar Hill had a record number of 52 communities participate in National Night Out. The city has also been recognized nationally many years for its outstanding participation in this event.
“It is indicative of our strong, positive relationships built through many years of service to our community,” a Cedar Hill Police Department spokesperson said.
In 2020, while in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, instead of police, fire and City officials visiting the Cedar Hill neighborhood parties, they set up drive-thru locations throughout the City. This allowed residents to still feel engaged and be part of the party by driving through unique drive-thru party set-ups placed strategically throughout Cedar Hill.
The Importance of National Night Out
National Night Out began in 1981 by the National Association of Town Watches. The event was organized as a way to provide community watch groups a place to gather and share information. It was also about encouraging individuals to be engaged within their communities.
In 1984, the first National Night out was launched. To date, over 16,000 communities and 38 million neighbors nationwide have participated.
