After taking a year off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, National Night Out will reappear in DeKalb County this summer.
Several DeKalb cities will host events in the next few weeks to celebrate the national initiative, which aims to promote relationships between police departments and the neighborhoods they patrol. The events, which usually feature games and free food, typically take place the first Tuesday in August, but they were pretty much all canceled last year.
Tucker was among the first cities to announce that Night Out is coming back. Midvale Elementary School will host the city’s fifth annual event Aug. 3 from 6 to 8 p.m.
“National Night Out’s mission is simple: to connect our community with the men and women who so selflessly serve it,” Tucker City Manager Tami Hanlin said in a news release. Tucker held a socially distanced Night Out event at Henderson Park last October.
Tucker’s celebration this year will feature DeKalb County School District leaders, police officers, fire officials and elected officials. The event culminates in a free community picnic, with food provided by The Patty Wagon food truck and ice cream available for purchase from Ice Cream Carousel.
“Nothing makes us happier as police officers than to get to know the communities we serve in positive circumstances,” Tucker police Liaison Lt. D.G. Schoeppner said in the release. “If we can talk with people and it’s not while investigating a crime or a complaint, it gives us a chance to build relationships. That is why National Night Out is so special to us.”
On the same afternoon, Clarkston will also hold a National Night Out event for its residents. From 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 3, the city’s event will take place at Milam Park, Mayor Beverly Burks said.
Dunwoody police will also hold a Night Out event from 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 3. It will take place at Brook Run Park
Doraville Mayor Joseph Geierman said his city’s Night Out event was moved to July 31 to make sure kids could attend while still on summer vacation. It will take place from 4 to 8 p.m. at Park Avenue across from the Doraville MARTA Station.
For more information on National Night Out events, visit natw.org.
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