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The Tomball Police Department will be participating in the annual National Night Out, along with members of the Tomball Fire Department and Northwest Rural Emergency Medical Services, officials recently announced.

The event, held Oct. 2, will feature a community wide cookout and a roll call presentation at the Tomball Depot Plaza.

“This event will give Tomball community members and visitors a great opportunity to see that Tomball is Texan -- for public safety,” Sgt. Rebecca Carlisle said.

National Night Out is a nationwide event that is now in its 29^th year. The National Association of Town Watch started the program, which has grown to include 37 million people in 15,325 communities nationwide, in Canada and at military bases worldwide.

National Night Out Project Coordinator Matt Peskin said the event has not only grown in numbers, but also in presentation.

“There has been huge growth in terms of numbers, but in addition to that it has grown into the event we see today, with the block parties, cookouts and neighbors getting out and meeting each other,” he said.

The event started with traditional outside lights and front porch vigils and has grown into cities celebrating with block parties, cookouts, parades, festivals, visits from local officials and public safety personell, safety fairs and youth events.

The organization’s goals for the event are to heighten crime prevention awareness, generate support for and participation in local anti-crime programs, strengthen neighborhood spirit and public safety community partnerships and to send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and prepared to fight back.

Tomball Police Chief Robert Hauck said the local event is designed to bring residents and public safety officials closer together.

“We already have a great working relationship with our citizens,” he said. “This gives us a chance to thank them for how they help us do our jobs better and to meet them in a more personal setting.”