By Sentinel Staff
The Sitka Police Department is hosting its first National Night Out Event Saturday at Upper Moller Field.
Organized by officers and dispatchers, the event is 4 to 8 p.m. and includes a bouncy house, food and games for kids. It’s sponsored by the police department and local businesses.
The event is free, although some of the booths will charge for food, an organizer said.
“Neighbors throughout Sitka are asked to lock their doors, turn on their front porch lights and spend the evening outside with neighbors and law enforcement,” the announcement says.
The event is held annually, usually on the first Tuesday of August, in communities across the U.S. The National Association of Town Watch was the sponsor of the event in the first year, in 1984, which consisted of neighbors turning on porch lights and sitting in front of their homes.
The first year, 400 communities participated, and by 2016 the number had grown to 16,000 communities, the National Night Out webpage says. The general purpose of National Night Out is “an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live.”
Other purposes include building relationships between neighbors and law enforcement, and “providing a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances.”
Organizer Sgt. Josh Steele said other agencies will be participating, including the U.S. Coast Guard, Alaska State Troopers, the Sitka Fire Department, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Forest Service.
“A lot of agencies hare volunteering throughout town, and a lot of great officers helped us be able to do this,” Steele said. He said the event will be conducted rain or shine, but added, “Hopefully the weather will improve for us.”
Around the country the national day out includes parties, festivals, parades and cookouts, sometimes with safety demonstrations, exhibits and visits by emergency personnel.
Those with questions may call Steele, at 907-747-3245.
