A “community block party” will be staged at Whitmore Park on Tuesday, Aug. 6 for a National Night Out celebration designed to bring the community together to reduce local crime.

Held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., the event will feature information booths, free food, displays of police vehicles such as the armored SWAT vehicle.

National Night Out is held annually in most cities to focus on community crime prevention.

The National Night Out Program was started in August 1984 after the National Association of Town Watch was created several years earlier by Matt Peskin, a local volunteer for the Lower Merion Community Watch program. Since then, the event has grown to include millions of participants.

The event is typically held on the first Tuesday of August in most communities. The event is designed to include fun and educational activities  such as food, safety demonstrations, children’s games and much more.

Promoters say it’s easy to think that with today’s technology, we don’t need to reach out and connect with our neighbors. While home security systems afford additional protection, they can’t help to get to know the individuals who live nearby and who might be able to support us not only in times of need but also share part of their lives with us.

This is what National Night Out is about: communities coming together in a stance against crime.