National Night Out To be Held by Mascoutah PD October 3

Tuesday, October 3rd is National Night Out! This is an annual event that gives residents the opportunity to spend the evening outside with their neighbors and law enforcement personnel at block parties throughout the city. This is the 40th annual National Association of Town Watch Night Out nationwide, and the 6th Annual National Night Out for Mascoutah.

“We are inviting residents to host their own block parties and spend the evening outside with their neighbors, which helps to strengthen your relationships with each other in the spirit of creating safer neighborhoods,” said Chief Scott Waldrup, Mascoutah Police Department Chief. “The parties can be as simple as inviting neighbors to bring over a chair and a potluck dish and sit in the front yard. It may be a more elaborate one with a street closure, organized activities, or an event in a park. The police officers, EMS paramedics, and firefighters will visit the block parties throughout the night from 5pm to 9pm.”

National Night Out is designed to:

-Heighten crime awareness and drug prevention awareness.

-Generate support and participation in anticrime efforts.

-Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police community relations

-Send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.

To make your block party official, please register with the City. The benefits of registration include the ability to request noise variances, street closures, party ideas, and more. Registration will also let the public safety officials know which neighborhoods to visit during the evening. The NNO Registration form can be found at https://www.mascoutah.org/home/news/6th-annual-national-night- out-celebration. Please return registration forms to the Mascoutah Police Department, attn: Julia Hawkins, by Friday, September 22nd.

Chief Waldrup asks all residents to “please take this time to get to know our first responders and help us support and thank them for keeping our neighborhoods a safe place to live.”

First responders would love to see your block party photos. Please forward any NNO photos you would like to share to jhawkins@mascoutah.com.