District of Columbia National Guard to Participate in National Night Out

WASHINGTON, DC (08/07/2012)(readMedia)-- The District of Columbia National Guard is honored to be participating in the 2012 National Night Out Program, a day for law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve to share an evening with an event or celebration to commemorate and develop partnerships.

The D.C.N.G will be supporting the Washington event at four locations throughout the city, providing lighting support, drug education displays, informational displays and family-friendly activities.

"This event is a way to strengthen community spirit and community-police partnerships. The District of Columbia National Guard is proud to support efforts to make our communities safer." said Maj. Gen. Errol R. Schwartz, Commanding General of the D.C. National Guard, who is slated to speak at tonight's event.

The D.C. National Guard has participated in this event in D.C. for over a decade.

National Night Out is designed to: Heighten crime and drug prevention awareness; Generate support for, and participation in, local anticrime programs; Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships; and send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.

The D.C. National Guard participates in programs throughout the year and throughout the city which support local law enforcement and community education efforts.

The District of Columbia National Guard's Counterdrug Program provides 35 full-time employees serving in the D.C. area. They have been to 29 D.C. public schools this year, in every ward of the city, to provide education about saying no to harmful drugs.The lite-all program, which will be present at three National Night Out locations, uses the presence of National Guard soldiers and airmen and high-intensity lighting equipment to help fight the war on drugs and make our neighborhoods safer.

The National Night Out program has been in place since 1984. Last year, 37.1 million people in 15,325 communities from all 50 states, U.S. territories, Canadian cities and military bases worldwide participated.

For more information on Washington's National Night Out, contact Yvonne Smith at (202) 727-8809.