National Night Out returns to Albany

ALBANY — Dougherty County kids can find their free book bags, notebooks, pencils and other school supplies at the eighth annual National Night Out on Tuesday.

Set for 5 p.m. through 8 p.m. at Radium Springs Middle School, the event will also feature free food, face painting, identification kits and a chance to win a new bicycle.

And according to event officials, it’s a great way to meet your neighbors, local police and community leaders.

Agencies participating in this year’s Night Out include Albany and Dougherty County police departments, Dougherty County Sheriff’s Office, Worth County office of the GBI, Albany-Dougherty Drug Unit, Dougherty County School Police and the Albany State University Police.

According to officials, the first real National Night Out — dubbed “America’s Night Out Against Crime” — began in 1984 as an effort to promote crime prevention activities, police community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie, and to send a message to criminals that neighborhoods were organized and fighting back.

The founding organization of the event, the National Association of Town Watch (WATW), says more than 37 million people and 15,000 communities from all 50 states, U.S. territories, Canadian cities and military bases stage their own activities, usually during the first week of August.

Tamiko Whitlock, detective with the Dougherty County Police Department, said at the 2014 event that National Night isn’t only an opportunity for kids to get a jump start on coming school assignments, but also a chance to see law enforcement in a kinder, gentler light.

“We’re here to show them that ‘hey, we’re here for you,’” Whitlock said. “We’re not always around just to put you in jail. We’re here for the good times too.”