Fewer Locations, More Action for This Year's National Night Out

Criminals, beware.

That’s the message the community and law enforcement will send next Tuesday during National Night Out, an annual event to strengthen communities and help reduce crime.

From 5 to 9 p.m. on Aug. 2, Union City will join more than 15,000 communities across the country in the 28th annual event dubbed “America’s Night Out Against Crime.”

According to Officer Ryan Seto of the Union City Police Department, National Night Out helps raise crime and drug prevention awareness, builds support for local crime-stopping efforts, strengthens relationships between residents and local police, and lets criminals know that the community is fighting back.

“It’s important to have these events because most of the community doesn’t have face-to-face time with law enforcement, unless they’re calling 9-1-1,” Seto said. “These events put a face to the name. You think a police officer is someone who just makes arrests and writes tickets, but at National Night Out you get to meet police officers and firefighters, and you can ask whatever questions you want.”

In previous years, more than 30 neighborhood watch groups would host block parties in their communities, with several thousand residents attending the various celebrations, Seto said.

This year, UCPD is doing it differently.

Rather than hosting smaller block parties, UCPD has selected four large, central locations to maximize the time officers spend with residents and hold more activities, Seto said. UCPD officers, Alameda County firefighters and elected officials will visit each of the locations.

“In the past, city officials and public safety personnel would stop by each location for five to 10 minutes, and then have to travel to the next location,” Seto said.

With the larger venues comes more action, Seto said.

In addition to a variety of attractions for families and children — such as food, face painting booths, bounce houses, DJs and live entertainment — each location will also feature SWAT and K-9 demonstrations.

During the K-9 demonstration, an officer will wear a full bite-suit while a police dog is released to subdue him. SWAT officers will also give a tour of their armored trucks.

Representatives from New York Life Insurance Company will also be at each location to provide Child ID services. The company will provide parents with a packet that includes fingerprints and a photo ID in the unfortunate event that a child goes missing.

The four official locations are:

• (1800 H St.)

• (3438 Andover Dr.)

• (4525 Dyer St.)

• (33104 Navarro Dr.)

However, some community groups are hosting unofficial National Night Out events, including events at and the , said Jill Stavosky, manager of Union City Leisure Services.

Stavosky helped organize the 10th Street Community Center celebration, which will feature a performance by the Ballet Folklorico and an exhibition by members of the Brickhouse Boxing program, she said.

This will be the second year a National Night Out celebration will be held at the community center. The event is being  will be held in partnership with and .

“It was very successful last year,” Stavosky said. “A lot of people came out from the neighborhood and everyone seemed to have a good time.”

“We plan to do it again, bigger and better,” she said.

For more information about National Night Out, contact Officer Ryan Seto at 510-471-1365 or ryans@unioncity.org.