The 9th Annual National Night Out takes place Tuesday, August 7 at Foss Park.

By Cathleen Twardzik

At Foss Park on August 7 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. partake in the 9th Annual National Night Out (NNO), which will be America’s Night Out Against Crime.

The event is a distinctive drug abuse and crime prevention initiative, which is sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch (NATW) and Target Inc.

Last year, the National Night Out initiative included neighborhood organizations, residents, businesses, civic groups and law enforcement agencies, as well as local officials, all of whom hail from greater than 15,000 communities in each of the 50 states, U.S. territories, Canadian cities and military bases, worldwide. More than 34 million people took part in National Night Out 2010.

The goals of National Night Out are: to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, to send a message to criminals to let them know that neighborhoods are organized and are fighting back, to strengthen neighborhood spirit, to build up police-community partnerships, and to generate support for, and participation in, local anticrime programs.

The major goal of this event is that it “brings the community and police together.  We want the community to meet new and old police officers, and one other goal is to bring city resources to the event so residents and families can see what the city offers,” said Cory Mashburn, Director, of Somerville Care About Prevention (SCAP), which is run by the Somerville Office of Prevention of the Somerville Health Department.

If the City of Somerville can be united, the old and the young, then a difference in individual’s lives can be accomplished.

At the event one can find youth activities, information tables, demonstrations, police vehicles and performances, all of which will be simultaneously instructive and enjoyable.

Interested individuals are invited to attend the event.

Entertainment will feature “Teen Empowerment – kids spoken work, songs, [and] poetry,” said Mashburn.

Somerville Sunsetters, State K-9 Unit, and Villari Self Defense Center, youth self defense will be among the amusements.

Children will be able to participate in various activities – all of which will be run by Target – such as badminton, a water balloon toss, volleyball and BAGG-O, as well as other “yard games.”

Refreshments, which will be sold by vendors, will include items such as fried dough, hot dogs and hamburgers.

To find additional information about the National Association of Town Watch, interested individuals may log onto www.nationalnightout.org.