Nashville's Night Out Against Crime

Neighborhood heroes, contest winners and city officials attend the Awards Reception at the Millennium Maxwell House Hotel

Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell awards a Poster Contest winner

Acting Metro Chief of Police, Deborah Faulkner with Woodbine Director Cathie Dodd (left) and neighbors

August 5, 2003-Nashville's Night Out Against Crime-was an evening of celebrations in many local neighborhoods to make it clear that citizens can and should take back their neighborhoods from criminals. Nashville's event was just one of thousands being held across the nation by the National Association of Town Watch, celebrating its 20th National Night Out anniversary.

Neighborhoods got out the word that kids in different age groups would have citywide "Posters Against Crime" contests and that neighbors would elect Neighborhood Heroes. The neighborhood winners were announced at a downtown hotel on July 29 as a kickoff to the August 5 event. Mayor Bill Purcell congratulated winners of the different categories, as did Nashville Night Out Committee staff, Chief of Police Deborah Faulkner, Fire Chief Stephen Halford, and other dignitaries.

Approximately 50 neighborhoods joined in the cause to stamp out crime on their streets for at least one evening. At the Communications Workers of America Apartments' CWA-Cayce Learning Center, serving public housing residents in downtown Nashville, HUD Multifamily Housing Director Ed Phillips led a contingency of cooks and servers. Tenants joined in the fun with games, contests and food, and the kids that live there really had a good time! "Neighborhoods really get involved in Nashville, and that's what makes Nashville a great place to live," said HUD employee Terry Livingston who helped coordinate the event. "The citywide planning committee works all year to plan, coordinate, budget and manage the event. There's always classy entertainment in Music City, even in the smaller neighborhoods."

HUD employees attended four neighborhoods' celebrations. They grilled food conducted events for kids, distributed HUD crime-fighting resources and met local leaders and citizens to show their support to Nashville for the 5th consecutive year. Radnor Neighborhood Association and Woodbine Community jointly sponsored the event at Coleman Park. "How you measure the effect of Night Out is to look at their faces and see how excited they are to see their neighbors having fun," said Ron Buchanan of HUD's Multifamily Housing staff. Senior citizens, kids, the rich and the poor, all races and all nationalities, all religions and many with different dialects all proved that their neighborhood could be proactive to fight crime and organize for any other important issue. "It's as American as apple pie," said Buchanan.

It is estimated that fifteen to twenty-five thousand people participated. And why wouldn't they? How often does this happen? Does your neighborhood have events like these: children's contests, free barbecue, bands, give-a-ways, and a chance to discuss important community and crime issues with others?