The borough is taking part again this year in National Night Out events in an effort to promote police-community partnerships and community camaraderie.
Every police precinct in the borough will host a National Night Out event on Tuesday, August 6.
Precinct council leaders said that the annual event, held nationwide and started in 1984, is an opportunity for the community and cops to come together and build bonds that can lead to better relations, which in turn can help solve and prevent crimes.
“National Night Out is held across the country and it emphasizes the fact that it takes the whole community to have a safe community, not just police,” said Joe Thompson, 49th Precinct Community Council president.
The community is where the police gets information it uses to solve crimes, and the better people like the police, the more they cooperate, Thompson said, adding he believes it is the most worthwhile thing the busy precinct council, which hosts a charity run and holiday food drive, does every year.
“Our focus is to let the criminal element in our community know we are working with the police and not going to surrender in terms of crime, quality of life or anything else,” said Elizabeth Gill, 47th Precinct Community Council president emeritus.
Her precinct’s annual event features entertainment, members of the NYPD’s youth Explorers program, volunteer NYPD auxiliary police, clergy, NYPD personnel, and community members, said Gill.
“It is a fun day, but it is also an educational day as well,” said Gill.
Over in the 45th Precinct, its police officers have reached into their own pockets to purchase items like bicycles for the raffle, said Bob Bieder, 45th Precinct Community Council president, adding that Riverbay Corporation, which manages Co-op City, runs the annual event.
“It is always a way to bring police and community together,” noting there is also food, entertainment and tables with community groups.
The following is a list of precincts, locations and times for this year’s National Night Out events in the borough:
-40th Precinct; Brook Ave between East 137th Street and East 138th Street; 3 to 7 p.m.
-41st Precinct; Police Athletic League Center at 991 Longwood Avenue; 4 to 8 p.m.
-42nd Precinct; Jennings Street between Prospect and Union avenues; 2 to 7 p.m.
-43rd Precinct; Bruckner Commons at 970 White Plains Road; 4 to 8 p.m.
-44th Precinct; East 169th Street between Walton and Gerard avenues; 3 to 8 p.m.
-45th Precinct, Rear of 140 Benchley Place; 6 to 11 p.m.
-46th Precinct; Roberto Celemente State Park at 301 W. Tremont Avenue; 3 to 7 p.m.
-47th Precinct; Granada Place between Ely and Laconia avenues; 4 to 8 p.m.
-48th Precinct; Bathgate Avenue between East 188th Street and East 189th Street; 4 to 8 p.m.
-50th Precinct; West 234th Street between Broadway and Bailey Avenue; 6 to 9 p.m.
-52nd Precinct; Poe Park on the Grand Concourse at East 192nd Street; 5 to 8 p.m.
