Published in the July 9, 2015

NORTH READING – Save the date now for North Reading’s third annual National Night Out at Ipswich River Park on Tuesday, Aug. 4, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., a night of fun, safety and public awareness for the entire community.

Residents of all ages are invited to check out the list of fun events to celebrate a safe community, including:

Rescue and law enforcement trucks and presentations.

Information on protecting seniors and other members of your family from identity theft and scams.

Disaster preparation information for all ages.

Face painting for children, a bounce house and other fun.

A free barbecue for the whole family and more. If you can’t make the National Night Out, leave your porch lights on for your neighbors who are walking to the event.

Last year’s National Night Out was attended by about 1,500 residents, who were treated to the barbecue, a demonstration of police K-9 dogs and law enforcement techniques, fire department demonstrations for children and the ever-popular dunk tank as well as many tables sponsored by public and private vendors.

The National Night Out is sponsored by the North Reading Community Impact Team to strengthen North Reading by encouraging neighborhoods to engage in stronger relationships with each other and with their local law enforcement partners. The goal is to heighten crime-prevention awareness, provide substance use prevention education, build support and participation in local anti-crime programs and promote safety issues.

The North Reading Community Impact Team (CIT) is a partnership among the North Reading Police Department, Youth Services, School Department, Parks and Recreation, Fire Department and Board of Selectmen. The CIT emphasizes the use of innovative, non-traditional methods of impacting crime and the fear of crime and strives toward cooperative interaction between the community, law enforcement and town departments. The CIT works to identify factors that have a negative impact on the quality of life for all community members, from young children to senior citizens and to implement solutions that solve those underlying problems.