National Night Out sets record participation
By: Staff 01/01/2007
Minneapolis block clubs and neighborhood groups held a record number of National Night Out events in on August 1, despite persistent rain. About 835 events were held. Some neighborhoods rescheduled their events because of the weather, and at least 934 separate events were held during a three-day period, which is an all-time national record for National Night Out events. More than 34,000 people attended block events on August 1 alone, and over a three-day period, more than 39,000 people took part; more than 10 percent of the City’s population attended a block event.
National Night Out activities help build and maintain Minneapolis’ extensive network of neighborhood watch block clubs by giving people an opportunity to get together with neighbors, build relationships, meet new people, discuss issues and plan for the future.
The Community Crime Prevention/SAFE (CCP/SAFE) unit of the Minneapolis Police Department coordinates Minneapolis National Night Out. John Baumann, CCP/SAFE Central Operations Manager, said “National Night Out has much more than a single-night impact in Minneapolis. Neighbors who know each other care more about each other and do a better job of watching out and reporting crime and suspicious behavior to police.” For info contact 612-673-3447 or www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/safe National Night Out in 2007 is scheduled for August 7.