National Night Out - Tuesday August 6, 2024

Night Out in Ridgecrest
Photo by Steven H. Robinson

Some of your neighborhood streets may be closed on Tuesday night, with picnic tables in the middle of the street.

It's National Night Out when neighbors gather to get to know each other. Years ago, a cop told me that the best defense against crime is a nosy neighbor. 

I'll never forget the police blotter story about a man who watched workers empty the furniture from his next door neighbor's house. He thought "I didn't know they were moving." 

Well, they weren't. He was watching a bold crime in action. Because he never talked to his neighbor, he didn't know that they had no plans to move.

It's actually not too late to have your own event. Recruit the neighbor with the biggest front lawn or driveway, then invite everyone on the street to a potluck dinner.

--Diane Hettrick