Radford City Police Department officers interact with citizens during the department’s first event of participation in National Night Out, a program designed to foster good relationships between police and the public.
Heather Bell
RADFORD – For the first time, the Radford City Police Department hosted a National Night Out event, designed to enhance the relationship between law enforcement and the public and foster a sense of community.
Tuesday, the RCPD doled out free ice cream at the Radford Fire Department and Bisset Park and gave citizens a chance to get to know the police officers that patrol the city.
“We would like to say thank you to the Radford community for making National Night Out such a great and memorable event,” says a message on the department’s Facebook page “Tuesday night was an opportunity to engage in a positive environment, get to know each other, and have fun together. We get great pride in being able to have such a connection with our citizens and are grateful to serve this diverse and supportive community. We can’t forget to thank our favorite ice cream truck, Nana’s Sweets & Treats, for the amazing ice cream.”
According to the organization’s website, National Night Out is “an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live.” It is usually held in August, but was delayed until October this year due to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.
“National Night Out enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community, and provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Millions of neighbors take part in National Night Out across thousands of communities from all fifty states, U.S. territories and military bases worldwide. Neighborhoods host block parties, festivals, parades, cookouts and various other community events with safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel, exhibits and much, much more.”
As part of the National Night Out effort, the RCPD is implementing what is known as the “9 p.m. routine,” an awareness effort for the public.
“We are introducing a social trend called the 9 p.m. Routine that was originally started by the Pascoe Sheriff’s Department, aimed at promoting crime prevention strategies to reduce theft from vehicles and residences,” states an announcement by the department. “This campaign encourages residents to conduct security checks in their homes and vehicles each evening to ensure their property is secure.”
The following is advice from #RADVA9PMROUTINE:
Remove valuables from vehicles
Lock vehicle doors
Close overhead garage doors
Lock inner garage door
Close and lock all residential exterior doors
Shut and secure all windows
Turn on the front exterior light