Police and community members will hit the streets again to celebrate successful efforts to combat crime.
Fife’s National Night Out event will return to Fife High School on Aug. 4 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. This free event will bring back community favorites including face painting, food and plenty of lessons regarding safety and crime prevention. This year, the event will feature a rock-climbing wall, instead of the usual dunk tank, according to Fife Police Chief Brad Blackburn.
“It’s a partnership between the department
and the Boy Scouts,” Blackburn said.
Last year, the event drew about 350 people, the police chief added. This 27th annual event is one piece of a much larger National Association of Town Watch campaign to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, strengthen police/community partnerships and spur participation in local anti-crime programs. This is the sixth year the city of Fife has celebrated the event.
In recent years, crime in Fife has risen, due in large part to staffing shortages in the police department, Blackburn noted.
A recent FBI Unified Crime Report revealed that Fife experienced 83.2 crimes per 1,000 residents in 2009 – a 1.3 percent increase and the most in Pierce County. Blackburn points to low staff levels as a major factor for the increase.
The department recently hired an additional patrol officer through a three-year grant funded by the U.S. Department of Justice.
At this year’s event in Fife, the community will be treated to raffle prizes, music, face-painting, free popcorn and games. Children can view a SWAT rig and a city fire engine. Parents will have the opportunity to learn more about driver safety information, identity theft and firearms safety. City police officers volunteer their time during the event to help make it a success.
Last year, more than 37 million people participated in National Night Out around the country. The campaign involves citizens, law enforcement agencies, civic groups, businesses, neighborhood organizations and local officials from more than 15,000 communities in all 50 states, United States territories, Canadian cities and military bases worldwide.
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