National Night Out was a smashing success

Anyone who witnessed what happened at Mills Park on Tuesday night would be hard pressed to be pessimistic about Carson City's ability to beat any problem that comes its way, including drugs and gangs.

There, more than 3,000 people came together for National Night Out, by far the largest attendance in the five years the event has been held. Cops laughed with kids and kids enjoyed free sodas and hot dogs while they learned how officers from several agencies do their jobs.

Events like National Night Out are beneficial because they teach kids that cops are there to help them, rather than to hassle or arrest them.

In fact, one of Sheriff Kenny Furlong's goals is to have every kid in Carson City know a cop by first name.

That familiarity, combined with programs like DARE, neighborhood watches and Cops and Kids, can be a far more effective way of ensuring a safe community that simply putting more cops on the streets.

"We're building relationships every day and taking away the fear of law enforcement," said Lisa Davis, the Sheriff's Department's DARE officer and one of the organizers of the event.

Much of the credit goes to Davis and the other people in the department who helped plan the event, as well as businesses like Target and Safeway that contributed food and beverages.

The theme of the event was, "Good-bye crime and drugs, hello to a safe Carson City."

We may not be there yet, but Tuesday night indicated we're headed in the right direction.