Tuesday night, community members from nearly 50 groups around town have signed up to take back the streets in the city’s annual National Night Out celebration.
The local event, which takes place on the first Tuesday in August each year, is spearheaded by the Berkeley Police Department in collaboration with the Berkeley Fire Department and other city staff. It’s a way to get residents and businesses together “to show unity out in the community,” said Officer Stephanie Polizziani of the Berkeley Police Department. “It’s about getting people out to take back the streets.”
This year is the national event’s 30th anniversary. The goal is to promote community involvement and partnerships, crime prevention, and safety and disaster preparedness in an effort to create safer communities. Since 1984, “National Night Out-America’s Night Out Against Crime” has grown to involve over 37 million people from more than 15,000 communities nationwide, according to the Berkeley Police.
Polizziani said Thursday that 49 neighborhood and community groups have signed up to participate, which is about the same number as the city had last year. For the second year in a row, merchants’ associations and churches are also joining the event. The South Berkeley farmers market, run by The Ecology Center, at Adeline and 63rd streets, will be marking the event as well.
Many neighborhoods hold potlucks and other community festivities to create a fun space to gather for National Night Out. The city traditionally waives the $15 fee that blocks would otherwise have to pay to close the street.
See a full list of scheduled events for National Night Out in Berkeley here.
Residents who wish to participate can download the registration form. Groups must submit a block party permit to the city for street closures for this event. Residents with questions can contact Officer Stephanie Polizziani at 510-981-5772 or via email at spolizziani@cityofberkeley.info.
Related:
Fighting crime in Berkeley one potluck at a time (08.08.12)
Company of neighbors, good food at local block parties (08.03.11)
Berkeleyside publishes many articles every day. To see all our stories in chronological order, and read ones you may have missed, check out our All the News grid.