National Night Out

On August 5, 2008, the citizens of Owatonna partnered together with the Owatonna Police Department to host National Night Out.

National Night Out is an annual event designed to enhance citizens crime prevention techniques, better educate citizens of police duties, bolster police-community relations and neighborhood relationships, and lastly, to send a message to criminals informing them that the police and citizens of Owatonna will not tolerate their crimes.

In 2008 the message to criminals was bold as we had neighborhoods organize a total of 56 block parties, which is an increase of 20% from 2007. Each and every block party was visited by an Owatonna Police Officer who provided crime prevention materials for the adults, toys for the children, and spoke to the groups addressing their concerns in their neighborhoods. A major concern that was brought up in 2008 was the speed of traffic on residential roads. The police department followed up on those complaints with placement of traffic calming devices, speed surveys, and intensive enforcement of traffic laws in those areas. This year’s efforts were also supported by Target who donated door prizes and also attended a few block parties.

National Night Out is one event in particular that is critical in sustaining and strengthening the police-community relationship in Owatonna. The Owatonna Police Department looks forward to gaining further joint community efforts to fight crime through the 2009 National Night Out and other events.