National Night Out: Connecting Neighbors and Law Enforcement

“National Night Out builds police and community partnerships,” said John Edwards, Bellaire Community Outreach Officer. “The best way to build a safer community is to know your neighbors and surroundings.” This year’s National Night Out takes place Tues., Oct. 3. 

Since 1984, the national event encourages neighbors to host street or block parties and invite local law enforcement staff to join. In Texas, the event happens on the first Tuesday of October. Other states host their event in August, but luckily, local coordinators realized it’s too hot in Texas that time of year! National Night Out gatherings are a great opportunity to build a sense of community with people that live nearby and the dedicated crime prevention organizations resulting in helping to keep our neighborhoods safer.  

Memorial Villages Officer Vasquez at a neighborhood event meeting some of our future leaders. 

“This annual community building event helps not only you getting to know your neighbors, but us in getting the opportunity to know you!” said Larry Boggus, Memorial Villages Police Community Relations Officer. 

Some suggestions from a seasoned NNO block organizer include passing out door-to-door invitations or flyers in addition to emailing or texting, providing name tags, and have a signup sheet at the event to gather information and possibly create a street contact list or at least remember names of who came to the party. 

See below for National Night Out opportunities and details in Buzz-area neighborhoods. Contact coordinators as soon as possible so the police departments have enough time to schedule officer visits to all the NNO get-togethers.

Save the date: Try to pop by your event and say hello to neighbors and local law enforcement! 

Neighbors enjoyed getting to know people that live on their street and visiting with Bellaire Police officers.

Bellaire 
Invite City of Bellaire Police Department staff for special appearances or kindly volunteer to be a block captain. Contact Community Outreach Officer John Edwards at 713-662-8103 or [email protected]. See more details here.

Harris County
All Harris County residents can reach out to Community Affairs to request a special National Night Out officer visit and gather additional information for their zoned precinct or police department. Harris County Community Affairs Marcos Snow said, “We are always happy to be part of the community and build bridges.” Contact 713-755-3372 or [email protected]. See more details here. Enter your address to find your precinct.  

Memorial Villages Detective Cerny and Officer Boggus attending a block party for NNO and entertaining the kiddos (well, most of them anyway!). 

Memorial Villages
If you live in the Memorial Villages and are planning National Night Out festivities, invite the Memorial Villages Police Department team members to come by and visit. Please share your event’s time and location with your request.  Contact Community Relations Officer Larry Boggus at 713-365-3716 or [email protected]. 

Happy West U kids enjoy the thrill of exploring a West University Police car.

West University
This year, West U is changing up their National Night Out celebration compared to previous years. Their dedicated first responders are hosting a community block party. Come join in the fun! The West U National Night Out event takes place Tues., Oct. 3, 5:30-7:30 p.m., at Colonial Park's West End Deck, located at 4130 Byron. West University’s Officer Katie Wilson said, “We encourage people to attend NNO because it promotes neighborhood unity, enhances crime prevention awareness, and builds positive relationships with the police and emergency services. It's a chance to learn about safety measures, share valuable information, and celebrate the spirit of togetherness that makes our community strong.” Contact Officer Wilson at 713-662-5866 or [email protected].