The Midland Police Department (MPD) will host its National Night Out celebration on Oct. 3 and is inviting the city neighborhoods to participate. The citywide event will be from 5 to 9 p.m., according to a press release.
“This annual event promotes police-community partnerships,” MPD said in an Aug. 23 Facebook post. “Additionally, it's a chance for neighborhoods to come together.”
The Permian Basin law enforcement agency said Sept. 26 is the deadline for neighborhoods to register, with forms available to complete on the city’s website. According to the city, participants can also print out the application and submit it to the MPD Community Relations Division at 600 N. Loraine St.
National Night Out, which espouses itself as an annual community-building campaign, said on its website that the event’s roots date back to 1970 when a suburban Philadelphia man sought ways to reach out to his community.
Nearly a decade later, the man formed the National Association of Town Watch, which was embraced by residents and police officers alike, and the National Night Out campaign was launched shortly afterward, with the inaugural gathering counting 2.5 million neighbors across 400 communities in 23 states, the website stated.
MPD said that neighborhoods can choose how they want to celebrate, with most throwing block parties and cookouts.
Several parts of the U.S. have held their National Night Out events while Texas usually does so in early October, per the department.