Building police-community partnerships with National Night Out

WEST PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Every year police and the communities they serve come together for a night out. The initiative took place Tuesday night in cities all across the country, including here at home.

From Atlantic City to Wilmington to Philadelphia, and around the country, police departments are on the job wearing a bit of a different hat.

National Night Out is all about building police-community partnerships.

At the Night Out in West Philadelphia officers spoke with residents and talked one-on-one.

City Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell says, "We're just so grateful that they all come by and our neighbors know and feel important that somebody cares about them."

The national event comes at a time when community policing has made headlines frequently.

Philadelphia Police Deputy Commissioner Kevin Bethel tells us, "It's been a difficult time lately. Sometimes we run from job to job. Many of my men and women are going from job to job on a busy night. This is the kind of time to kind of take a deep breath. You can relax, have something eat, and really connect with the community in a different way."

Stephanie Callender, a mother of three, says this is what neighborhoods should like.

"It's a good thing to see the neighbors out. We get see everyone, we get to see who lives in the neighborhood. All the kids go to the same school, so it's good to see the kids playing together and the community coming together," she said.

It's all about the kids, the fun, and of course the food. The neighbors all say this is about spending quality time together. And that helps them have that sense of community, and also safety.

And Monica Calkins says, "We keep an eye on each other. Everybody comes out. We know who everybody is. And if somebody new comes, that's good. But it's just an opportunity to really get to feel a little bit more comfortable and really broaden horizons."