West Plains Police Department announce 39th Annual National Night Out

The 39th Annual National Night Out is August 2. Community members are asked to mark it down on calendars and start preparing.

What is National Night Out or America’s Night Out Against Crime:

National Night Out is designed to: (1) Spread awareness about crime and drug prevention; (2) Generate support for, and participation in, local anticrime efforts; (3) Strengthen neighborhood bonds and police-community partnerships; and (4) Send a message to criminals letting them know neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.

How can you take part:

From 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 2, residents in neighborhoods throughout West Plains and across the nation are asked to lock their doors, turn on outside lights and spend the evening outside with neighbors and police. Many neighborhoods throughout West Plains will be hosting a variety of special events such as block parties, cookouts, ice cream socials, visits from the police, flashlight walks, contests, youth activities and anticrime rallies.

The West Plains Police Department encourages people to fill out a contact form if there are plans to host an event. This form will be used to help the local police find and attend as many of the events as they, the fire department and/or EMS (Emergency Medical Services) can. There are paper copies inside the lobby of the West Plains Police Department, or you can fill one out on Facebook at the official West Plains Police Department page under the event for National Night Out in the ticket section, or you can print one out online at police.westplains.gov under the press release section. The West Plains Police Department encourages everyone to take part in the event to show criminals they are not welcome in West Plains.