Block parties and barbecue Block parties and barbecue (August 05, 2005)

Neighborhoods participate in National Night Out, support crime prevention
by Rebecca Guyon

The cop cars started pulling up to the Pleasanton Gardens elder housing complex at approximately 4:45 p.m. and by 5 p.m. at least seven squads were on the scene. No, they were not breaking up a crime in progress, but rather enjoying a steak dinner and the company of the Pleasanton Garden residents as part of the National Night Out Tuesday, August 2.

“The Pleasanton police department knows us well, mostly from our Night Out barbecue,” said Bruce Fiedler, a Pleasanton Gardens administrator and block captain for the Pleasanton Neighborhood Watch program.

Pleasanton Gardens was one of 23 neighborhoods that took part in the National Night Out with block parties, ice cream socials and casual barbecues that lasted, in some cases, until 10 p.m. The event gives neighborhoods the opportunity to have fun and get to know each other, while also showing criminals that they are not afraid and will fight against crime. Promoting crime prevention was the main catalyst in creating the event 22 years ago. Pleasanton started holding the National Night Out locally in 1999 and the number of participating neighborhoods continues to grow. In its first year, six neighborhoods signed up and last year 13 took part, said Police Chief Tim Neal.

Many Pleasanton police officers went to the different parties, as did Mayor Jennifer Hosterman, Vice Mayor Steve Brozoksky and City Manager Nelson Fialho who visited six neighborhoods during the evening.

“This is a wonderful community event and an opportunity to show support for the police department and meet people in the neighborhoods,” Hosterman said.

Even if some neighborhoods see the event as more of a block party then a statement against crime, the social aspects are still tied to crime prevention, said Crime Prevention Officer Penelope Tamm.

“The National Night Out is a way for neighborhood watch groups to get together, get to know each other and communicate,” Tamm said. “The more you know the people in your neighborhood, the more you know what's going on and you'll know when something is wrong. If people know what's going on, it helps makes the neighborhood safer."

The police department is especially working on getting the word out about crime prevention and conveying the message that crime prevention is everyone's responsibility.

"We're telling people, 'Don't leave your cell phones, CDs, or computers in your car. Lock your house when you are away and don't leave your garage door open.’ All those things provide opportunities for crime to occur."

The police department is also collaborating with the Livermore and Dublin police departments in promoting crime prevention.

"We find the three cities experience similar types of crime and that the same criminals go from city to city," Tamm said. "While each department is working individually for our own city, we also need to think of it as a Tri-Valley coalition."

Whether people remember the message of crime prevention or not, they still had a fun time with their neighbors, and most said that was their main reason for coming out for the event.

“It’s a great barbecue,” Fiedler said.

E-mail a friend a link to this story.