ANNAPOLIS, Md. — National Night Out is about neighbors connecting with each other and with their local law enforcement.
City leaders say it helps people know where to turn when they need help, and it's also a way to build trust with different agencies within the community.
“It’s a great opportunity to meet community members outside of emergencies. Outside of whatever the issue or the moment is of the day, we can come together and say we’re a part of this community too," said David Mandel, Deputy Director, City of Annapolis EMA.
The event had food, games, face painting, livestock, including goats, and horseback riding for the kids.
Firefighters, local police, and EMA were out there having important conversations with people about what is best for the community.
“It’s an opportunity to be educated; it’s an opportunity to learn a lot of different things, and just to get out and learn about other people and what they do," said Rhonda Pindell-Charles.
Carla Tounge says it's the reason she came out Tuesday night.
“What are they doing in the communities to protect the young kids, and what are they doing so that they can stay off the streets and be involved more in the community," she said.
Tounge says things have changed so much in Annapolis since she was a child.
She and others would like to see old programs return to the area for the kids of this generation.
“The only thing kids have to do is just fight, shoot, and it’s not good and I think a lot of it has to do with, you know, the communities; they don’t have nothing to do, so they just go to what they know, the streets," said Tounge.
The city of Annapolis had National Night Out in three locations, connecting with different neighborhoods throughout the community.
