The City of Hattiesburg and Forrest County will host National Night Out (NNO) Against Crime Kick-off from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, July 26 at the C.E. Roy Community Center (300 East 5th St.). The event will be a precursor to a series of smaller neighborhood events scheduled to take place throughout Hattiesburg on Tuesday, Aug. 7. This year’s theme is “Getting Back to the Basics.”
The NNO kick-off event will consist of city and county department exhibits, emergency vehicle tours, free food, free school supplies and car seats, tours of the African American Military History Museum, children’s activities, neighborhood competitions, trivia, and an open mic and stage for performances.
America’s Night Out activities will include a “Lunch and Learn” luncheon at the city’s police and fire academy (53 Academy Dr.) from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Aug. 7. City and county officials will also visit neighborhood events, which will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. the same day.
National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live. The program seeks to enhance the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while fostering a sense of community.
The City of Hattiesburg has hosted NNO for 28 of the 35 years the program has been in existence. Forrest County has partnered with the city for the last 10 years. The City of Hattiesburg’s NNO program is ranked 4th in the nation for cities with populations from 50,000 to 100,000.