Cities and towns in the south and southwest suburbs preparing for National Night Out events, held the first Tuesday in August to promote positive relationships between police and the community, say they have grown with participation from businesses and other vendors.
“It started with leaving your porch light on and talking with neighbors and grown into a family friendly event,” said New Lenox Mayor Tim Baldermann.
The National Association of Town Watch was founded in 1981 to connect community watch groups with information, resources and assets to stay informed and involved, according to the organization’s website.
The organization held the first National Night Out in August 1984, which included 2.5 million neighbors across 400 communities in 23 states, according to the website.
The first National Night Out involved neighbors sitting outside their homes with porch lights on to talk and build neighborhood camaraderie, the website states.
But over the years, the events have grew to include block parties, festivals, parades, cookouts and events with safety demonstrations, seminars, events for kids and visits from emergency personnel.
In Crestwood, the event has been held for the 10 years.
“We’ve gone from a parking lot with a couple hundred people to a park with 600 people coming,” said Crestwood police detective Art Ronan. “The vendor and guest size, that’s increased no doubt.”
This year, Ronan said there will be bingo, a petting zoo, dunk tank, face painting and bounce houses.
Police officers enjoy the event because it gives them an opportunity to interact with residents in a setting that doesn’t involve an emergency, Ronan said.
In Flossmoor, this year’s event will include a display of the Police and Fire department’s equipment, theft deterrent devices for residents who have Kia or Hyundai vehicles and children ID kits, said police Cmdr. Tim Filkins.
“It’s definitely grown from having lights on … to becoming a kind of festival,” Filkins said.
Midlothian police Deputy Chief Anthony Tavormina said their National Night Out event has grown to include a cook out, a DJ, face painting, a balloon animal artist and demonstration by the Fire Department.
“Over the years, I would say, the event itself has increased from just a simple gathering to more of a family event where people can bring their kids out, share a meal and do some activities,” Tavormina said.
Tavormina said it has become an unofficial end-of-summer tradition because it is held after the Fourth of July and before school starts.
Police officers like the event because it allows them to connect with residents in a non-crisis environment, Tavormina said. In Midlothian, police officers serve the food, he said.
“It’s nice to serve people in that way as well,” Tavormina said. “The overall purpose, from our point of view as police officers, is to strengthen bonds with the community and connect with the community.”
In Hazel Crest, this year’s event will include an announcement by Hazel Crest police Chief Mitchell Davis and Chicago Bears Hall of Fame member Mike Singletary of a partnership between the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement with the NFL Alumni Association to provide 1 million child ID kits to communities.
The kits, which allow parents or guardians to take finger prints and other identifying information of their child, are kept at home and used in case of an emergency, according to the National Child ID Program.
“Having a Child ID Kit is like having an insurance policy,” Davis said in a news release. “It is something that every parent should have but you pray that you will never need. It is not going to stop something bad from happening, but it can have an impact on the outcome if it does. It can help to bring at least some resolution to a family during the worst time of their lives.”
Area events
National Night Out activities are planned for Tuesday night in the following towns.
Blue Island: Blue Island Police Department, 13031 S. Greenwood Ave., from 6-9 p.m.
Beecher: Firemen’s Park, 673 Penfield St., from 6-8:30 p.m.
Crete: Monee Reservoir, 27341 Ridgeland Ave., from 5-7:30 p.m.
Crestwood: Walker Park, 13900 Laramie Ave., from 6-9 p.m.
Flossmoor: Village Hall, 2800 Flossmoor Road, in the parking lot from 5-8 p.m.
Frankfort: Downtown Frankfort from 6-8 p.m.
Glenwood: Hickory Glen Park, 1016 E. 192 St., starting at 6 p.m.
Hazel Crest: Highlands School, 3420 Laurel Lane, starting at 6 p.m. with news conference at 5:30 p.m.
Homewood: Richard D. Irwin Park, 18120 Highland Ave., from 5-8 p.m.
Lansing: Fox Pointe, 18138 Henry St., from 5-8 p.m.
Matteson: 4900 Village Commons from 5-8 p.m.
Midlothian: The Village Green, 147th and Waverly, from 6-9 p.m.
Mokena: Yunker Farm, 10824 La Porte Road, from 6-9 p.m.
Monee: Monee Reservoir, 27341 S. Ridgeland Ave., from 4:30-7:30 p.m.
New Lenox: New Lenox Village Commons, 101 Veterans Parkway, from 6-8 p.m.
Oak Lawn: Municipal lot behind Village Hall, 9446 S. Raymond Ave., from 6-8 p.m.
Orland Park: Orland Park Village Center, 14700 South Ravinia Ave., from 5-8 p.m.
Steger: Louis Sherman Community Center, 3501 Hopkins St., from 5-7 p.m.
Tinley Park: Freedom Park, 7835 Timber Drive, in the parking lot from 6-9 p.m.
University Park: University Park Police Department, 90 Towncenter Drive, from 6-8 p.m.
