Recent violence brings special signficance to National Night Out

The nation's recent wave of horrific shootings have brought special significance to this year's National Night Out campaign.

Organizers from the National Association of Town Watch expect about 16,500 communities will be involved with Tuesday's National Night Out, started in 1984 as a way to bring people out on their porches in a symbolic statement against neighborhood crime.

Matt Peskin, executive director Town Watch, said he can feel the "special energy out there" as about 500 new communities registered this year.

“A lot of these people have sat back and watched for the past month the awful events that took place,” Peskin said. “It’s frustrating because there’s not too much an individual citizen can do.”

Among the killings that brought national headlines: a sniper who shot and killed five police officers at a peaceful protest in Dallas after two black men died at the hands of white police officers. Less than two weeks later, a military veteran ambushed and killed three police officers in Baton Rouge.

Thousands of communities will be hosting cookouts, block parties and parades Tuesday to promote police-community relations. This is the 33rd year for National Night Out, always held on the first Tuesday of August.

Police departments across the nation have coordinated their own events. Among them are Minneapolis, a city that was rocked by protests after motorist Philando Castile was fatally shot by a police officer in a neighboring city last month. Minneapolis was ranked number one in 2015 for the quality of its National Night Out campaign.

Minneapolis Police Officer Corey Schmidt said this year will be even bigger than last, with one party expecting more than 5,000 people.

"There have been some things that have happened that have shown police in a negative light," he said. "We want to show the community that we're here for them and support them."

After the killings in Dallas, the city's police department has helped community member Anna Hill plan one event in her small Dolphin Heights neighborhood. Hill, president of the Dolphin Heights Neighborhood Association, is expecting at least 100 community members and local officials to turn out for her hot dog and chili cookout.

“Its important to the community, to the children, the police department and everyone involved,” said Hill, who also runs a summer reading program for children. "Everybody gets a chance to know each other on a different level."

Follow Karina Shedrofsky on Twitter: @karinashed