Tuesday is National Night Out

Tuesday, Aug. 7 is NationalNight Out, and Reston residents are invited to turn their porch lights on and get to know their neighbors to help make the community a safer place. Already, more than 100 communities in Virginia are registered to participate in the annual event.

The idea behind the event is that if residents get to know each other better, they will be more likely to work together to help keep their neighborhoods safe.

There will also be a community cookout from 4 to 7 p.m. at in Reston.  Join Fairfax County Police Reston District Station, the Southgate Community Center and event sponosr Target in the effort to strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnership. 

In 2011, Herndon won an award for the quality of the community’s National Night Out program, including organization and planning, participation and results. (See coverage of .)

This nationwide event began in the 1970s as a way to get people out of their homes and meet each other with the common purpose of making communities safer by raising crime prevention awareness.

More information on National Night Out is available at www.natw.org/nno.

-- Patch’s Adam Swart and Joan Dentler contributed to this report.