Columbus Police Department is throwing a party Tuesday. And all of Columbus is invited.
For the 23rd year in a row, CPD officers have partnered with neighborhood watches and other community programs to host block parties around Columbus for National Night Out, a nationwide community campaign to prevent crime started by the National Association of Town Watch. The annual event sees communities throwing block parties, parades and other events every year in August as a way to connect law enforcement officers and the neighborhoods they serve, as well as promote crime prevention.
“It’s a national event, but we want people to come out to get to know our police officers and get to know their neighbors,” said Community Police Officer Rhonda Sanders, who has organized the event the past several years. “It’s so important to get to know your neighbors.”
This year neighborhood watch programs will host block parties at seven Columbus locations: Townsend Community Center, Sandfield Park, the East Columbus Gym, Sim Scott Park, New Haven Woods Park, Lee Park and First United Methodist Church. Neighbors can begin gathering for free food, children’s activities and other events at 5 p.m. at all but the First Methodist party, which begins at 6 p.m.
The block parties are a good way for people in the community to meet with police officers and other first responders, Sanders said. Police officers and fire fighters will mill with around with civilians at the block parties. In particular, she added, limousine services will take CPD’s newest cadets from site to site so they can meet locals.
“People can meet (police officers) and know their names outside of them responding to calls,” Sanders said.
This year, CPD has also partnered with Community Counseling Prevention Services to educate children and teenagers at the parties about staying away from drugs and alcohol.
“If we can keep our young people from becoming addicted to drugs and alcohol, (that is a step toward) crime prevention,” said Community Counseling Prevention Services spokesperson Arleen Weatherby.
The prevention services, which puts on programs in schools, churches and other community programs, will provide educational information about drug and alcohol prevention at each site, Weatherby said.
Additionally, employees from M&M Tax Service will set up booths at some of the sites to talk with people about budgeting and finance, Sanders said. She got the idea from CPD’s toy drive, which CPD hosts every Christmas to give toys to children from low-income families. She said she thought if parents have an opportunity to learn about budgeting, some of the kids who would otherwise get Christmas from the city may be able to get it from their parents this year.
But it also ties back to National Night Out’s crime prevention theme, she said.
“We wanted to educate people on this because what builds up to crime?” she said. “Poverty.”
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.