News Flash

ROANOKE COUNTY, Va. (July 30, 2012) – On August 7, Roanoke County will join thousands of communities taking a stand against crime by hosting its first annual National Night Out event at the Roanoke County Public Safety Center.

National Night Out is an annual crime prevention and education event sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch (NATW), local public safety agencies, and neighborhood groups across the country. Local events are coordinated to all take place the first Tuesday in August each year.

NATW's annual "National Night Out" (NNO) program has been extraordinarily successful in promoting involvement in crime education and drug prevention activities, strengthening relations between police and the community, and encouraging neighborhoods to play a part in the fight for safer streets. Since 1984, "National Night Out—America's Night Out Against Crime" has grown to involve over 37 million people from more than 15,000 communities.

Roanoke County’s National Night Out event will be held Tuesday, August 7, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. at the Roanoke County Public Safety Center located at 5925 Cove Road, Roanoke, Virginia, 24019.

Roanoke County Police will host a free and family-friendly event, complete with hot dogs, ice cream, and interactive demonstrations from the Police Department’s SWAT unit, animal control, patrol officers, and Fire & Rescue personnel.

Attendees with a driver’s license, or a learner’s permit with accompanying parent, can take a turn driving the Department’s golf cart driving simulator while wearing “Fatal Vision” goggles. This impaired driving simulator shows adults and students how driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol can affect their ability to control a vehicle.

For more information about Roanoke County’s Night Out Against Crime event, contact:

Eric Orange, Community Policing Coordinator
Roanoke County Police Department
5925 Cove Road, Roanoke, VA 24019
Phone: (540) 777-8651