Piqua firefighters and police officers dance with Indian Ridge residents at one of the 2018 National Night Out block parties held in neighborhoods throughout the city.
Mike Ullery | Miami Valley Today
First Responders of all sorts, dozens of pieces of heavy equipment and farm machinery at Indian Ridge in Piqua during a National Night Out block party held in 2021.
Mike Ullery | Miami Valley Today
The Piqua Police Department will participate in six different neighborhood block parties on Tuesday, Aug. 1, in celebration of the National Night Out event’s 40th anniversary.
Courtesy | Piqua Police Department
By Matt Clevenger
MIAMI COUNTY — Law enforcement officers, firefighters and EMS personnel from Troy, Piqua and Tipp city will participate in block parties and other special events throughout the county on Tuesday, Aug. 1, honoring the 40th anniversary of the National Night Out event.
In Troy, block parties will be held in five different neighborhoods including Stonebridge, Westbrook, Garden Manor and Terrace Ridge Apartments and Mayfield Road North, Officer Zach Hook said.
“Last year we had six neighborhoods participating,” Hook said. “This year has been a little different because Officer Tracy Long retired May 31, 2023, and he was the normally the person that was responsible for organizing National Night Out.”
Piqua will have six block parties this year, according to a post on the Piqua Police Department’s Facebook page, in the 200 block of West Greene Street, the 400 block of Adams Street, the 1900 block of Beckert Drive, and at Indian Ridge Park on Nadene Drive, Ayden Healthcare on Kienle Drive and Piqua Manor on West High Street.
“Community crime prevention starts at the neighborhood level, and we want to use National Night Out to build stronger neighborhoods in every area of the city,” the posting said . ”During this time period, neighbors throughout Piqua and across the nation are asked to lock their doors, turn on their front porch lights, and spend the evening outside with neighbors, law enforcement, and our many community partners, such as the fire department and social service agencies.”
Other agencies participating in Troy’s National Night Out events will include the Miami County Sheriff’s Office, the Miami County Health Department and the Miami County Park District, Hook said. Probation officers and dispatchers from the Miami County Communications Center also plan to participate in the National Night Out events.
“The Troy Fire Department also participates in National Night Out,” he said, “and we usually have someone from the Miami County Victim/Witness Program.”
“The purpose of National Night Out is to promote police-community partnership and neighborhood camaraderie,” Hook said. “The Officers from the Troy Police Department will have stickers and candy to give to the kids; the other employees from the different agencies will be handing different items out as well.”
Block parties will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Troy and Piqua. In addition to the Troy Police Department, sponsors for Troy’s National Night Out events also include Walmart and Meijer. Piqua’s National Night Out event is hosted in cooperation with PROTECT Piqua Board of Trustees.
Officers from the Tipp City Police Department will host the city’s third annual National Night Out celebration from at Kyle Park on South First Street from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 1.
“There will be multiple law enforcement agencies attending,” Officer Will Roberts said, including Miami County Dispatch, several Miami County service agencies, several food vendors, local businesses, and there will be things for the kids such as face painting, mud ceramics, inflatables and pony rides.”
Tipp City’s National Night Out celebration will also feature police K-9 demonstrations, a CareFlight landing and First-Responder vehicles.
“There will be police cars, SWAT vehicles, military vehicles and Fire Department vehicles,” Roberts said. “The Tipp-Monroe Fire Department. will be at the event and they are setting up a smoke house.”
Food vendors for the event will include Kona Ice, Shannon’s Sweet Tea, Sweet Adeline’s Bakery, Viva La Fiesta, Cumberland Kettle Corn, Ledoux Bourbon Chicken and Krazy Dogs.
“The Miami County Sheriff SRT and Dayton SWAT are scheduled to bring their armored vehicles,” Roberts said. “The Miami County Sheriff’s Office is doing Kid ID’s and WPAFB, along with the Marines, will be bringing a military vehicle/display.”
More information can be found online through Facebook.
“I would describe the main purpose of National Night Out as a community-building event,” Roberts said. “Having an event where law enforcement, fire/ems services, and community services can interact with the community under positive circumstances is a great way to build partnerships.”
