Santa Clara once again joined communities across the country this year in celebrating National Night Out, a nationwide event aimed at strengthening the bond between residents and the public safety personnel who serve them. 

The city has taken part in the tradition for many years, and this year’s event, held earlier this month, drew more than 40 neighborhoods. This year, more than 70 city employees and elected officials visited more than 40 community gatherings on Aug. 4.

“The Santa Clara Police Department takes pride in the relationships it builds with the community,” wrote Lt. Eric Lagergren, Santa Clara Police Department’s (SCPD) public information officer. “Events like National Night Out aid the City of Santa Clara in bringing the community, SCPD, Santa Clara Fire Department, city staff and city officials together in casual neighborhood settings.” 

For SCPD, National Night Out is about more than a single evening — it’s an extension of the ongoing work the department does to build relationships with the people it serves, Lagergren wrote. 

SCPD’s community services unit coordinated the citywide event, but each neighborhood organizes and sponsors its gathering. That grassroots approach led to a wide variety of celebrations this year, ranging from small, informal get-togethers to large block parties featuring a full slate of activities.

National Night Out is just one piece of a much larger effort. The community services unit has taken part in more than 100 community-focused events this year. Those events include community engagement meetings, police department tours, Building Resilience and Values in Everyone (BRAVE) program graduations and presentations in local schools. 

Each of these touchpoints gives department employees another opportunity to foster connections and build trust with the community they serve, Lagergren wrote.

This year’s Santa Clara National Night Out brought out employees from across the police department — representing numerous units, specialized assignments, divisions and classifications — alongside members of the fire department and city leaders from various departments, many of whom attended while their departments continued providing services.

City Manager Jovan Grogan was among those who took part, and said the event is one of his favorite chances to connect with residents outside of a formal setting.

“I’ve always enjoyed the authentic conversations that occur in front yards, community rooms, and parks during the event,” Grogan wrote in an email. “What is clear is that Santa Clara has a strong sense of community, and residents look forward to National Night Out each year. Unfortunately, there’s never enough time for one person to visit all locations, but we spread out.” 

Overall, the event was successful. Feedback from employees and residents was overwhelmingly positive, reflecting the strong turnout and the spirit of the celebrations throughout the city.

SCPD encourages residents interested in learning more about National Night Out, or who want to sign up their neighborhood for next year’s event, to email the crime prevention unit at crimeprevention@santaclaraca.gov. Learn more about the department’s ongoing community efforts through its School Services and Community Engagement Meeting pages.

More information about the founding and history of National Night Out, along with a full list of participating cities nationwide, is available on the National Night Out website.

Contact David Alexander at d.todd.alexander@gmail.com 

Related Posts:
Santa Clara’s National Night Out Brings Community Together
National Night Out (NNO) Spans Santa Clara, Sunnyvale