With the Fourth of July in our rear-view mirror and August approaching I think we should start to think about National Night Out, or as I like to call it “The Great Minneapolis Get Together.” National Night Out (NNO) provides us an opportunity to get to know our neighbors share a meal and think of ways to improve our safety and livability for ourselves as well as our neighbors. It also provides an opportunity to get to know our Minneapolis Police Officers to work together to build trust and foster positive relationships with the police and the community they represent. This year NNO is on Tuesday, August 6.
National Night Out Mission:
National Night Out is an annual event that involves all segments of the community in building a healthier, safer community; generate support for anti-crime programs and strengthen police/community relations on the first Tuesday of August.
Background:
National Night Out is not just one night of the year, but the culmination of year-long crime prevention activity in all neighborhoods: people working together in block clubs and other networks to prevent and address crime and other neighborhood problems. It is an occasion to celebrate past successes, discuss current challenges or issues, and re-dedicate to collaborative efforts with neighbors, police, businesses and others to improve the quality of life in our city.
Key Message:
Cohesive, healthy neighborhoods are keys to preventing crime and violence.
Active block clubs build community, increase hope and create harmony and sustainability. Positive activities displace negative activity; as people spend more time outside, they take back their streets and neighborhoods. NNO is an opportunity for all parts of the community including businesses, corporate sponsors, religious institutions, city agencies and news media to come together around the shared goal of a safe, healthy and vibrant community. NNO reinforces the partnership of citizens and police to combat crime.
Goals:
Utilize NNO to expand and strengthen the network of block clubs.
Increase the number of block clubs, multi-block events and individuals who participate in NNO. Involve the Police Department with citizens by participating in NNO events together. Promote increased involvement of youth with their neighbors.
Promote crime prevention strategies and increase ways that citizens can protect themselves, and their property.
NNO and Block Clubs:
Block clubs are the focus of NNO. Block clubs are groups of neighbors who watch out for each other, report crimes and suspicious activity to 911, and work together to improve the quality of life on their block.
There are many advantages to getting involved in a block club. Participants have easy access to such police services as home security checks, notification about crime patterns and crime statistics information. For many people, getting to know neighbors, particularly those from other cultures and backgrounds, is just plain fun. There is good evidence to suggest that people who know their neighbors also feel more secure and less fearful. Ultimately, crime prevention experts report that neighbors watching out for each other help prevent crime and make life on our blocks safer and more livable. In 2017 Minneapolis ranked number one for block party participation, last year in 2018 we were second. We need your help to get back to number one.
Get more info at minneapolismn.gov/nno. And check with your neighborhood organization (see pages 8 and 9) to find out what NNO events are going on in your neighborhood.