Emergency Service Providers and Community Share a Night in the Park
The City of Hilliard continued its tradition of recognizing National Night Out Aug. 1 at Darby Glen Park.
“National Night Out, for us, is the culmination of the community policing approach we do throughout the year,” Hilliard Police Chief Michael Woods said.
Woods joined many of the division’s officers as the event designed to provide an opportunity for not only positive interactions between law enforcement and the public but for neighbors to meet, too.
Hilliard staged its first National Night Out at Hoffman Park in 2010 and it has been held each year since, except for 2020, at various parks throughout the city as different locations each year.
National Night Out was introduced in August of 1984 through an already established network of law enforcement agencies, neighborhood watch groups, civic groups, state and regional crime prevention associations and volunteers across the nation.
The first annual National Night Out involved 2.5 million neighbors across 400 communities in 23 states.
National Night Out grew to become a celebration beyond just front porch vigils and symbolic efforts amongst neighbors to send a message of neighborhood camaraderie.
Neighborhoods across the nation began to host block parties, festivals, parades, cookouts and various other community events with safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel, exhibits and more, according to the National Association of Town Watch.
It is held on the first Tuesday of each August except in Texas where it is observed in October.
The event is free each year and typically includes free bottled water, hot dogs and other refreshments and promotional giveaways from corporate sponsors and non-profit agencies.
Read more about the origins of National Night Out here: https://natw.org/about/
Hilliard is but one of the Central Ohio community that recognizes National Night Out.
The Hilliard Division of Police and the Norwich Township Fire Department participated, as the agencies have each year, in the event.
“He’s having a great time here getting in police cars and the fire trucks, after watching them on the roads,” Hilliard resident Emily Dick said about her 2-year-old son, Ian.
Hilliard police provided a K9 demonstration and Norwich Township and Hilliard police provide an opportunity for children to explore the fire trucks and police cars.
Officers took their turns inside a dunk tank, too.
But the event is also an educational opportunity for first responders to provide information about personal safety tips and programming each agency provides.
FOCUS Hilliard / NTFD Support Programs