St. Charles takes new approach to National Night Out

For years, the National Night Out celebration in St. Charles featured a community-wide gathering at Pottawatomie Park, where thousands of residents mingled with local law enforcement officers for an evening of community awareness and safety tips.

For this year's Night Out, which is Tuesday, St. Charles will bring more of a Neighborhood Watch feel to it. Various officers and elected officials will tour up to seven neighborhoods in the community throughout the evening to meet residents and discuss their specific policing concerns in a festive atmosphere.

The gatherings are voluntarily organized by the neighborhoods themselves.

St. Charles Police Department spokesman Paul McCurtain said having as many as seven neighborhoods sign up in the first year of the new format is a good start that the department will build on for future years.

"We wanted to get the National Night Out celebration back into the neighborhoods because we thought it was important for people to get out and get to know each other and the people on their blocks," he said. "It's important for us to know that individual neighbors can rely on each other."

St. Charles residents who'd like to help host a Night Out celebration in their neighborhood in the future should contact Crime Prevention Officer Tim Beam to obtain an application and an instructional kit.

National Night Out will see thousands of communities across the country host events that bring together residents and police in constructive discussions about crime awareness and prevention. Nearly 150 Illinois communities will host National Night Out events, several in the area:

• Members of the Kane County Sheriff's Department and other related government agencies will give tours of the new sheriff's department and adult justice center from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Members of the Kane County S.W.A.T. Team, who placed fourth overall in the National S.W.A.T. Competition in South Carolina and first place in the two-man challenge, will also be present.

• In Campton Hills, police will offer free child fingerprinting and ID cards from 6 to 8:30 p.m. along School Road next to Wasco Elementary. There also will be free food and drinks, a moonwalk for children, and exhibits of firetrucks, police cars and snow plows.

• In Batavia, a National Night Out Against Crime party is set for 5 to 8 p.m. at Batavia's Quarry Beach, 400 S. Water St.

The first 1,000 visitors will receive free hot dogs and hamburgers from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Admission is free. There will be games, and the band One Sam Ten will perform. McGruff the Crime Dog will visit, and vehicles from the Batavia police and fire departments, the Batavia Emergency Services and Disaster Agency and the Kane County coroner's office will be on display.

• In Elburn, police are asking all residents to support National Night Out by turning on front porch lights and being outside, meeting with neighbors from 6 to 9 p.m. Police officers will drive around the neighborhoods, meeting with the residents and handing out crime prevention material and other items for children.

There will also be a cookout from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at village hall featuring free food, children's games and fire and police department tours. Coloring contest winners will receive bicycles.

For more information, or to find out if your community has an event, visitnationaltownwatch.org.