Celebrated on the first Tuesday in August, National Night Out Day is designed to make communities safer and more caring. It achieves this through national community-building programs that promote a key aspect of safer and more caring neighborhoods: police and community partnerships.

Research has shown that partnerships between communities and local police forces can have a positive effect not only on crime but also on the communities’ trust in law enforcement.

The History of National Night Out

Even though communities have observed National Night Out since 1970, it wasn’t until 1984 that this holiday was officially observed on a widespread basis in both the U.S. and Canada. It was started by the National Association of Town Watch—a nonprofit organization dedicated to building more caring and safer communities through strategic crime prevention programs.

Facts About National Night Out

If you’re looking for additional information on National Night Out programs across North America, then you’ve come to the right place. We’ve come across a wide variety of facts about this holiday. And that’s the information we want to share with everyone with the bullet points below.

• National Night Out began in 1970 in the western suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
• In 1981, the National Association of Town Watch was established.
• In 1984, the National Night Out campaign was launched.
• The first National Night Out involved 2.5 million neighbors in 400 communities across 23 states.
• In 2020, National Night Out involved 38 million neighbors in 16,000 communities across North America.
• Dog Walker Watch takes advantage of the fact that there are 75 million dog owners across the nation, many of whom walk their dogs. These individuals can be the ears and eyes of the police.

Setting Up a Neighborhood Watch

Many people who live in communities that need a neighborhood watch the most are the ones that find it the hardest to start or maintain them. Below are some tips for starting a neighborhood watch from NNW.org that should help everyone on their path to starting a neighborhood watch.

• Map out the problems that exist in the neighborhood.
• Build a partnership between law enforcement and community residents.
• Assess the needs of the neighborhood, particularly areas that might not be addressed by law enforcement.
• Community leaders should select and train volunteers for their neighborhood watch.
• The community should then develop meaningful projects in the neighborhood that will address issues.

For more information on setting up and maintaining a neighborhood watch, visit the National Neighborhood Watch at NNW.org.

Observing National Night Out

National Night Out is usually observed on the first Tuesday in August with a variety of programs aimed at increasing awareness about police programs in communities. Some of these programs include drug prevention measures, neighborhood watch programs, and town watches.

In some communities, the holiday is also an occasion to have block parties, cookouts, or even impromptu concerts for the community. Other events can also take place on this day, including safety demonstrations, exhibits, and other community-oriented projects.