National Night Out: Strengthening Police-Community Partnerships for Safer Neighborhoods

Part of the 40th National Night Out celebrations at Wynnewood on Aug. 1, 2023. William Huang/The Epoch Times

National Night Out (NNO), an annual community-building event, returned to communities nationwide on Aug. 1.

The event promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood fellowship.

“National Night Out brings people from the community out together with first responders so that they become closer with first responders in case they need them,” said NNO’s executive director, Matt Peskin of Wynnewood, Pennsylvania.

National Night Out (NNO) executive director Matt Peskin (left) at Wynnewood Shopping Center celebrating NNO's 40th annual event on Aug. 1, 2023. William Huang/The Epoch Times

William Worden, Police Chief of Port Jervis, New York, told NTD that police have joined communities across the nation “showing our partnership, serving our communities to keep our community safe.”

Betsy Brantner Smith, spokesperson of the National Police Association, said this year’s event was important for several reasons.

“Especially for the last three years, the country went through the defund police movement, millions of dollars have been taken out of police budget, community policing mostly went to the wayside, ”she said.

An Irvine SWAT officer poses with local children alongside his unit’s SWAT truck at the city's National Night Out at Woodbury Community Park in Irvine, Calif., on Aug. 1. Carol Cassis/The Epoch Times

Department of Justice (DOJ) officials also attended an NNO event, including Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco.

“Everyone in our country deserves to be safe in their communities,” Mr Garland said in a statement. “National Night Out is an important opportunity to reaffirm the importance of the close partnership between law enforcement and the communities we serve.”

More than 16,000 towns and cities participate in National Night Out.

Firefighters from Orange County Fire Authority conduct a ladder demonstration to families at the National Night Out at Woodbury Community Park in Irvine, Calif., on Aug. 1, 2023. Carol Cassis/The Epoch Times

Hashtag #NNO2023

The hashtag #NNO2023 was created to support the event, now in its 40th year, with many taking photos and videos and uploading them to the digital platform Gan Jing World which had a booth at an NNO event in Astoria, Queens. Gan Jing World also partnered with NYPD, Police Department in Washington D.C. and Port Jervis, New York, Chicago, and some Pennsylvanian cities to create the hashtag.

“[These events] help increase community safety and have a positive, inspiring effect on our society. Gan Jing World is a safe, healthy, and family-friendly platform designed for people of all ages and backgrounds,” Nick Janicki, director of media relations at Ganjingworld Corporation, said.

Part of the National Night Out celebrations in Wynnewood on Aug. 1, 2023. William Huang/The Epoch Times

Over 200 residents visited the booth and asked about the Gan Jing World app at the Astoria NNO booth.

“I checked out the literature, and it seems a pretty cool platform, seems pretty safe, so I am excited to check it out,” Kevin Davis of Chicago told NTD.

NTD reporters Tingting Ke and Angela Moy, The Epoch Times reporters Jessica Lin and Sally Sun contributed to the report.