PIQUA — The Piqua Police Department, in cooperation with the PROTECT Piqua Board of Trustees, is once again participating in numerous block parties across the city during National Night Out, Tuesday, Aug. 1, from 6 to 8 p.m.

“Community crime prevention starts at the neighborhood level,” Piqua Chief of Police Rick Byron said in a press release . “So we want to use National Night Out to build stronger neighborhoods in every area of the city.”

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 the many community partners, such as the fire department and social service agencies.

Now is the time to begin planning for a successful event in your neighborhood and we can help with that planning. Registered neighborhoods can expect visits from police and fire. Activities, entertainment and food make for successful events. PROTECT can provide advice for organizers of local block parties for all of these elements.

National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make the neighborhoods safer, better places to live. Together, the community is making that happen.

Call Officer Chris Walters at 937-778-2027, ext. 3027, or Chief Rick Byron at 937-778-2027, ext. 303, for additional information and to register your block on the list of official National Night Out block parties.