By Allan Jamail
Jacinto City, TX. — On October 4, 2022, the City of Jacinto City joined in the nation’s National Night Out (NNO) to help fight to lower crime.
Jacinto City’s Mayor Ana Diaz said, “Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to cut back the past two years on having very many neighborhood locations.”
Hopefully the city’s police department will actively begin recruiting the neighborhood get-togethers all over the city for next year because that’s the concept of the NNO event.
Located at the JC Police Department, City Manager Lon Squyres said, “The city furnished hot dogs, cotton candy, snow cones, popcorn & cold drinks. Children enjoyed the inflated bounce house with a slide.”
Police were present passing out crime prevention information and meeting and getting to know citizens.
National Night Out is a community-police awareness-raising event in the United States, held in Texas on the first Tuesday in October.
The event has been held annually since 1984, and is sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch in the United States. National Night Out began simply with neighbors turning on their porch lights and sitting in front of their homes. The first National Night Out involved 2.5 million residents across 400 communities in 23 states; National Night Out 2016 involved 38 million residents in 16,000 communities across the United States.
The event is meant to increase awareness about police programs in neighborhoods and communities, such as drug prevention, town watch, neighborhood watch, and other anti-crime efforts.
The events are typically organized by block watches, nonprofit organizations, companies, and police departments. These events can be as simple as backyard cookouts or as complex as full-blown festivals.
Precinct 2 Constable Jerry Garcia and his deputies visited all of the designated NNO events in his jurisdiction. They greeted citizens and passed out crime prevention literature as most all law enforcements agencies do.
Garcia and his deputies distributed crime prevention items such as, children’s coloring books, lanyards, tote bags, key chains, coffee mugs, pop sockets, mouse pads with his office’s contact numbers (713-477-2766) so citizens could communicate with him. Or if immediate help is needed to report a crime in progress contact his dispatch office (713-477-4070). In an emergency call, 911.
Adrian Garcia, County Commissioner Pct. 2 and his staff were out visiting NNO events, they presented to seventy-six (76) NNO locations proclamations of recognition to NNO sponsors.
To participate and or sponsor a NNO next year contact Constable Jerry Garcia’s office, 713-477-2766, Jacinto City Police, 713-672-2455, Galena Park Police, 713-675-3471, Harris County Sheriff, 713- 221-6000.