Music is playing loudly, the grill is fired up, and kids are running around having fun.

The police are there, but it is not to break up the party. In fact, they are the hosts.

National Night Out is a nationwide program where block party style events bring police departments and the community together for a night of face-to-face interaction. Columbus and Starkville police departments have held the events for several years, and Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office held its first such event Tuesday night at New Hope Community Center.

“It’s where communities come together and say, ‘Listen, no violence. We want to stop crime,’” said Rhonda Sanders, public relations officer for the LCSO. “We start neighborhood watches, we start getting to know the deputies and police officers that are in your community. Basically this is just bringing awareness.”

According to the National Night Out website, the event is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live. Law enforcement agencies host the events in either August or October.

LCSO’s event featured food, music, face painting and free goodies for kids. The New Hope football team even stopped by and had a meal after practice, interacting with the officers while there.

Agencies who work with the police as well as the community, such as Lowndes County Emergency Management and Mississippi Child Protective Services, were also present to talk about each organization’s responsibilities and how community members can get involved.

Sandra Williams, a volunteer for the event with the Lions Club of Columbus East, said the event was very informative for her.

“They had entertainment and informative materials were given out by emergency management and other organizations who were there to give information out to the community,” she said. “I think it was very informative and it gave the community members a chance to socialize and build some appreciation for our (officers).”

National Night Out also puts uniformed officers in a broader context than just “enforcement.”

“It comes down to trust,” said Starkville Police Chief Mark Ballard. “We know each other because of these types of events. We are able to have face-to-face conversations. People see us as friends, as family members. They see us in our roles. Many police officers will have their own children involved in the events, so it’s a way for the public to see us for who we are and the roles we play in the community and vice-versa.”

Parents, such as Evie Vidrine, who volunteered with LCSO’s event, even brought their children out to the event to help build that trust in law enforcement.

“I think it is incredibly important to our community that we see (the police) as an asset to the community instead of the fact that they are often portrayed as something negative,” she said. “(It’s very important) having (my children) understand that the police are here to help us and here to keep our community safe. I want them to trust our law enforcement, locally.”

The end goal is making communities safer, Columbus Interim Police Chief Doran Johnson said.

The party setting also helps the community view the officers in a calmer light and have genuine conversations, with the end goal of making the community safer.

“It allows the community to see the police department and connect with it in a non-combative manner,” said Johnson. “They get the opportunity to sit down and talk about some things and come up with some solutions that can help.”

Starkville Police Department has been hosting events since 2014. But in recent years, the event has transitioned to being more citizen-led.

“I think that, for us, it has been a unique transition,” Ballard said. “In the early years it was definitely the police driving it, whereas now it is the community that is driving it. Local businesses, local groups and organizations look forward to it and have become the major force behind its success.”