(PITTSBURGH) August 6, 2012   Mayor Luke Ravenstahl reminds residents to participate in this year’s National Night Out (NNO) to be held tomorrow, Tuesday, Aug. 7 in neighborhoods throughout the city. NNO is an annual nationwide celebration during which residents and community groups hold fun, family-friendly events in an effort to strengthen police and community partnerships, encourage neighborhood camaraderie and promote crime awareness and prevention. This year, nearly 40 events – ranging from porch parties to cookouts to community festivals – will take place in many neighborhoods. Residents can quickly and easily find NNO events in their neighborhood at pittsburghpa.gov/nno, which includes an interactive map of all registered events.

“As we celebrate Pittsburgh’s sixth consecutive year of historic crime lows, the City’s public safety officials continue their efforts to drive down crime rates even lower in our neighborhoods,” said Ravenstahl. “National Night Out provides an opportunity for residents and families to host fun events that build relationships between neighbors and police officers, and send a clear message to criminals that crime is not welcome.”

The theme for this year’s family-friendly events is, “It’s a beautiful night in the neighborhood” – a theme that reflects Pittsburgh’s rich character of 90 unique neighborhoods. Ravenstahl encourages residents to attend NNO events in their neighborhood and gather with neighbors to talk about how they can keep their neighborhood safe.

Registered events will be visited by the Mayor, local law enforcement officials, firemen and other public safety personnel, providing an opportunity for residents to discuss any safety concerns they may have. Upon registration, community groups were provided a packet including information about the many public safety resources available for their neighborhood. Each packet includes: information about 911 and the Mayor’s 311 hotline, 10 tips about how to keep your neighborhood safe, burglary prevention tips and the Mayor’s public safety newsletter. Children are invited to participate in a coloring contest and to submit an essay about what they can do to help keep their community safe.

NNO is sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch and is designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, encourage participation in neighborhood anti-crime programs and strengthen police-community partnerships. Last year, over 30 Pittsburgh neighborhoods participated in NNO.