Police hosting National Night Out event

Norwalk police is hosting its first National Night Out event. The event is from 4-7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 6 at the Norwalk Police Department, 37 N. Linwood Ave. "This special evening is all about fostering community spirit, strengthening police-community partnerships, and making our neighborhoods safer and more caring places to live," according to a post about the event on NPD's Facebook page. The event will feature food trucks, games and activities for kids, and a meet and greet with local police officers and firefighters. "Don't miss out," the Facebook post continued. "Mark your calendars, bring your family and friends, and join us for a night of fun and community spirit. We can't wait to see you there." Hosting a National Night Out event falls in line with one of Chief Scott Dahlgren's priorities - to foster relationships between police and members of the Norwalk community. "Norwalk Police Department is looking to build relationships and be a big part of the community," Dahlgren said. "We are participating in events such as this so we can have fun with our citizens and give everyone a chance to see us as community partners." While National Night Out is new to Norwalk, it is not a new event. According to the National Night Out website, millions of neighbors take part in National Night Out events across thousands of communities from all fifty states, U.S. territories and military bases worldwide on the first Tuesday in August "National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie," the website says. "Furthermore, it provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances."