The Carson City Sheriff’s Office will be hosting its 14th annual National Night Out event from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday to bring the community and law enforcement together for a night of family fun.
The free event, held in Mills Park, will focus around the theme “Partnership in Action” to show the community about the different organizations and agencies around Carson who help keep the community safe.
“We chose Partnership in Action because that partnership will always be there and the point is to heighten the police to community interaction as well as heighten the partners who work with all public safety in Carson City,” said organizer Lisa Davis.
Dozens of public safety agents like Parole and Probation, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Reno Police Department, NDOT and the Forest Service will all be there in addition to every division in the Carson City Sheriff’s Office. Davis said they’re excited for this year because in addition to all of the typical attractions, they’re adding in a number of new things. This year, the Army recruitment booth will provide a rock wall for the kids, the RPD RAVEN will have a demonstration and the National Guard will bring one of its Humvees. Davis said they’re trying to incorporate hands on activities to really get people to pay attention to the different public safety agencies, and will also have a SWAT obstacle course from CCSO, the Search and Rescue team will have a tug of war contest and the D.A.R.E program will have a marijuana vision goggles to show the effects of marijuana on the brain.
“The hands on is how people actually learn,” Davis said.
Planning takes nearly a year, organizing the dozens of participants, collecting donations and food, and laying out the event. National Night Out also incorporates several community sponsors, such as Grocery Outlet, Downtown Business Association and Target, who all donated to the event so Davis could purchase things like the nearly 3,000 hot dogs and waters that will be free to patrons.
Davis said the program has grown exponentially in the last few years, and last year they had nearly 9,000 people attend.
“I would have never dreamt we would get to this degree (of size),” Davis said. “... It is getting so big, we have agencies calling us now to be a part of it.”
National Night Out is a favorite community event, Davis said she has received numerous calls and text from community members excited to rally behind the Sheriff’s Office and interact with the law enforcement agencies.
“It is a good experience,” Davis said. “It is educational, it is fun and it is free summertime fun with a purpose. This gives people the chance to interact with police and talk with them about what’s concerning them and they can see what’s available to them in the community.”
The event is Tuesday, August 2 at Mills Park from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and is free to the public.