OCALA, FL (352today.com) – The Ocala Police Department sill be participating in National Night Out, a nationwide program designed to strengthen bonds and communication between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve, on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026.
National Night Out has its origins in a “Night Out Against Crime” initiative started in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia in 1984 to promote neighborhood watch programs in those cities and build a bridge between their neighborhoods and police. It has since grown into one of the largest outreach programs between law enforcement and the public in the country.
This year’s free event will be held at Ocala’s E.D. Croskey Recreation Center from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., and features food and drink as well as games, dancing, arts and crafts and responder vehicle displays.
The event “aims to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, generate support for local anticrime efforts, strengthen neighborhood spirit, and forge police-community partnerships. It also seeks to send a strong message to criminals, letting them know that neighborhoods are united and fighting back,” according to OPD’s event page on Facebook.
For more information about National Night Out’s local representation, call 352-369-7182.