‘National Night Out’ brings community closer
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JACKSON, Tenn. — Local law enforcement officers station themselves all across Madison County to converge on a house party — but this time it is not because of a complaint. Instead, it’s something designed to keep everyone safe. “Lots of times neighbors don’t know neighbors, so this time you get to meet, you get to talk, you get to know something about them,” Sheriff John Mehr said of this year’s National Night Out. “So when you’re driving through the neighborhood, you see something unusual at their house, you can say ‘hey, that doesn’t fit.'” National Night Out, now in its 31st year, brought the public and law enforcement together Tuesday night in Madison County. “We are able to build relationships and carry them past tonight and work on things that we face in the community,” Chief Julian Wiser said. And it is not only for officers and those who wear badges but a learning tool and possibly an inspiration for the future leaders of the community. “For my daughter, I think that it is very important that I raise her to see that I want her to be a part of her environment,” Nicolette Davis said. “I would like her to know the service people who work for our community because she might have those dreams one day to aspire to be like them.” Sometimes it starts with a handshake or a couple of dance moves. But if a conversation between neighbors is what comes out of this, organizers say that is what is helping keep crime off the streets. “It takes neighbors helping neighbors to help solve cases and keep crime from causing in the community,” Sheriff Mehr said.
