VSU Hosts National Night Out Oct. 4

The Valdosta State University Police Department will present National Night Out from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, on the Front Lawn. It is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie in an effort to prevent crime. Admission is free of charge and open to the public. Blaze will make a special appearance at National Night Out.

VALDOSTA — The Valdosta State University Police Department will present National Night Out from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, on the Front Lawn. Admission, all activities, and concessions are free of charge, while supplies last.

National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie in an effort to prevent crime. It is all about making Valdosta and Lowndes County a safer, more caring place for everyone.

“National Night Out is just one of the many ways VSU Police and other first responders in our area work to build relationships and trust with the communities we serve,” shared Sergeant Kevin Cox, who oversees community outreach and professional standards for the VSU Police Department. “We want to get to know the people who call Valdosta and Lowndes County home. We want to hear about any issues they may be facing in their neighborhoods and collaborate with them to address those issues and maintain public safety. We also want to hear about the good things happening in their lives and how we can work together to support more of that.”

During National Night Out, area residents will get an up-close look at Air Evac Lifeteam 142’s helicopter from Tifton, a Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office armored personnel carrier and K-9 team, a Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime scene truck, a seatbelt convincer, a Forgotten Coast K-9 team, fire trucks, police cars, and more.

Throughout the evening, attendees will have an opportunity to meet first responders from the VSU Police Department, Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office, Valdosta Police Department, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Georgia Department of Public Safety, Valdosta Fire Department, Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice, Department of Community Supervision, and more.

National Night Out will feature music, activities, demonstrations, and free concessions, while supplies last, thanks to donations from Kona Ice, Johnson Distributing Co., and Walmart in Adel. VSU’s Blaze will be on hand to get everyone in that Blazer spirit.

Other participating organizations include Lifesouth Community Blood Centers, Academy Sports + Outdoors, and VSU’s Student Life, Student Government Association, Health Promotions and Wellness, and Counseling Center.

National Night Out was first introduced in 1984 by the National Association of Town Watch, a nonprofit organization designed to provide community watch groups with the necessary resources and assets to stay informed, interested, involved, and motivated. It is celebrated across the United States and its territories, in Canada, and on military bases around the world.