Police Join Partygoers for National Night Out

The Mesa del Mar neighborhood threw a party Tuesday and the cops showed up--not to write citations and issue warnings, but to hand out hot dogs and prizes.

The event in Costa Mesa was one of thousands held to observe National Night Out, a 17-year-old crime-fighting program. Anaheim and Newport Beach were among other cities that sponsored an estimated 9,700 gatherings this year.

At Mesa del Mar, a section of El Camino Street was closed to traffic and open for neighbors to enjoy music, food and soft drinks, and an inflatable “bounce house� for the children.

Matt Peskin, director of the National Assn. of Town Watch, which coordinates the event from its offices in Wynnewood, Pa., said the idea is “to put together a high-profile, high-impact crime prevention event that would involve entire communities. The concept was to put on your front light and sit on your porch for a couple of hours. If everybody in the country put on their light and sat on their porch, we felt there would be no crime.�

The event, which began in 1984 with 400 communities in 23 states, is now observed all 50 states, and porch-sitting has evolved into block parties hosted by local police.

Annette Manley, a police department employee who coordinated this year’s events in Costa Mesa, said, “Our goal is to show residents that we are willing to work with them on a day-to-day basis. We want this to be an ongoing, positive relationship in keeping crime out of our city and increasing the quality of life. We just want them to have a great time and, hopefully, leave with a positive feeling toward the police department.�

Though the emphasis was on the positive, organizers offered safety guidelines.

“We suggest that they lock their doors and turn on their outside lights,� Manley said. “The theme, after all, is giving crime a going-away party.�

Ashley Anaya, 26, said she thought the block party was a great way to introduce law-enforcement officers in a way that would encourage children to see them as friends.