Normally police are called to break up a party, not party with you. On Tuesday evening, that school of thought went out the window for one of many National Night Out events in Southwest Virginia.
At least six different neighborhoods teamed up to put one on in Southeast Roanoke at Golden Park. Roanoke City firefighters, The Roanoke tactical team and various volunteer fire departments were also in attendance.
People say getting to know these men and women in uniform as well as each other is one way to scare off criminals.
"I think it does. I think it speaks volumes. I think that just seeing that there is a presence here," says Emily Armentrout, a Roanoke resident.
Statistics show people crave this kind of opportunity to meet and greet with law enforcement officers and send criminals a message that their community is on alert. It's estimated last year, 50 states threw a National Night Out with close to 37 million people participating.
