Pasadena Police Department Set to Host 26th National Night Out on Tuesday

The Annual National Night Out celebrations throughout Pasadena on Tuesday, August 2 will include block parties and community building events to foster police-community partnerships and camaraderie. 

Held annually on the first Tuesday in August, “National Night Out enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community,” according to the official National Night Out website. 

The Pasadena Police Department’s Community Relations Section will kick-off the event just outside police headquarters at 207 N. Garfield Ave., as it has been doing every year. 

The kick-off will be followed by block parties at various parks in the City of Pasadena. 

“Meet first responders, enjoy a FREE hot dog (or two), play a few games, get your bike registered for FREE and take home some cool swag!” the Pasadena Police Department said on Facebook. 

The annual community event presents an opportunity for the Pasadena Police Department to interact directly with the community. Residents will also have a chance to ask questions and get to know their local law enforcement and first responders. 

“Pasadena PD is hosting the event but we are not having an open house,” Police Lt. Marcia Taglioretti, the Police Department’s Public Information Officer, said. “It will be a series of neighborhood block parties which will be held throughout the city.” 

This 26th National Night Out comes in the wake of increasing tensions between the public and the police, following the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

Pasadena Fire Chief Chad Augustine will also be attending. 

“I am excited to attend National Night Out again this year,” Augustine said. “I hope to visit as many locations as possible that evening.”   

City organizations such as the Pasadena Public Library, Pasadena Water and Power, Pasadena Federal Credit Union, Pasadena Waste Management, Public Health Department and the Citizen’s Service Center are some of the agencies that are participating at the event. There’s free food, giveaways, games and activities and community resources through the night, the Police Department said. 

National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make neighborhoods safer and more caring places to live in. 

The event started in 1984 and has since been held on the first Tuesday of August. The event seeks to enhance the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement, while bringing back a true sense of community. It also provides an opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances.

Last year, Pasadena’s kick-off event for National Night Out was held at Villa Parke. 

For more information, follow the Pasadena Police Department on Facebook, www.facebook.com/PasadenaPD or visit www.cityofpasadena.net/police/divisions-and-sections/community-relations/neighborhood-services.