DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Members from Team Dyess hosted a National Night Out event at the Youth Center here Oct. 4 in efforts to build partnerships between the police and local community.
“National Night Out is a nationwide campaign that promotes community policing between local police and sheriff departments and the communities they live in,” said Maj. Mark Breed, 7th Security Forces Squadron commander. “Not only to establish relationships between the police departments and the community, but also to get folks out to meet their neighbors in an environment that they wouldn't otherwise be able to meet in."
Since 1984, the NNO has assisted in educating the public on crime and drug awareness and prevention while strengthening police-community partnerships across the United States. Nationwide, over 16,000 communities have participated in this event.
Last year, Dyess participated in its first NNO event with support from multiple base agencies, non-profit and private organizations, which allowed over 400 families to establish a partnership between police and community members. This year, about 500 locals attended the event.
The NNO offered food, prizes, weapons displays, K-9 demonstrations and bounce castles, which were all free to attendees.
Considering the amount of participation, this year’s organizers believed the NNO was a success yet again.
"It's our privilege to put this event on for our base community,” said Breed. “It lets kids and parents become more comfortable around police and beyond just getting to know each other, it makes for a stronger community."