Neighborhoods throughout Bellevue will join forces with thousands of communities nationwide for the “27 annual National Night Out” crime and drug prevention event on Tuesday, Aug. 3.

On Aug. 3, residents in neighborhoods throughout the nation are asked to lock their doors, turn on their outside lights and spend the evening with neighbors and police. Citizens are encouraged to start planning their own block parties and open houses.

From 4-7 p.m. there will be a National Night Out community party at the Bellevue Police Crossroads Community Station located at the 1200 block of 156 Avenue N.E. in Bellevue.

This event is for Bellevue residents of all ages. There will be prizes for the kids, demonstrations by various public safety departments on ways to stay safe, entertainment, food, and lots of fun all designed around a crime prevention/reduction message.

National Night Out is sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch and co-sponsored locally by the Bellevue Police Department, the Crossroads Shopping Center, Target, Top Foods and Drug, Chipotle and Westernco Donuts. The event will involve over 10,000 communities from all-50 states, U.S. territories, Canadian cities and military bases around the world. In all, close to 34 million people are expected to participate in “America’s Night Out Against Crime.”

National Night Out is a civic event designed to: (1) Heighten crime and drug prevention awareness; (2) Generate support for, and participation in, local anticrime efforts; (3) Send a message to criminals letting them know neighborhoods are organized and fighting back; and (4) Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships.

For more information, contact Officer Dave Porter at the Bellevue Police Crossroads Community Station, DPorter@bellevuewa.gov or 425-452-2891.