Tuesday marks the day where cities around the country will celebrate National Night Out, an event that aims to promote safety in the streets, and police forces are honoring the event with celebrations in Chicago and the suburbs.
National Night Out is an annual “community-building campaign” that’s held on the first Tuesday in August. Residents are asked to leave their porch lights on throughout the evening Tuesday as a display of safety and solidarity.
The events in the Chicago area come as crime statistics released by the Chicago Police Department show that crime overall has decreased this year, but the numbers of murders and shootings are up.
"Our cities are dealing with a very small group of people who are committing the vast majority of the crimes on our communities,” Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy said at a national summit on gun violence Monday. “These repeat violent offenders need to be held accountable, and we need to ensure that there are consequences to their actions."
They also come on the same day Mayor Rahm Emanuel is expected to announce plans to expand bike patrols in neighborhoods throughout Chicago.
Here is a list of National Night Out events in and around the city:
- Chicago: 3-8 p.m. Rainbow Beach, 3111 E. 77th St.
- Arlington Heights: 5:30-8:30 p.m. North School Park, 410 N. Arlington Heights Rd.
- Bartlett: 5 p.m. Bartlett Park, 102 N Eastern Ave.
- Buffalo Grove: 5 p.m. Willow Stream Park South, 651 Old Checker Rd.
- Crystal Lake: 5-8 p.m. Three Oaks Rec Area, 5517 Northwest Hwy.
- Des Plaines: 5-8 p.m. Maine West High, 1755 S. Wolf Rd.
- Elgin: 6 p.m. Festival Park, 132 S Grove Ave.
- Evanston: 6-9 p.m. Various neighborhood events.
- Gary, Ind.: 6-9 p.m. Pittman Square Park, 51st and Delaware.
- Hoffman Estates: 5:30-7:30 p.m. Seascape Family Aquatics, 1300 Moon Lake Blvd.
- Itasca: 5 p.m. Itasca Community Library, 500 W. Irving Park Rd.
- Joliet: 6-9 p.m. Billie Limacher Park, Jefferson and Bluff.
- La Grange Park: 7 p.m. Memorial Park Amphitheatre, 132 E. Oak Ave.
- Lisle: 5 p.m. Benedictine University, Kindlon Hall, 5700 College Rd.
- Montgomery: Various neighborhood events.
- Mundelein: 7 p.m. Santa Maria Del Popolo Catholic Church, 116 N. Lake St.
- Naperville: 6-9 p.m. Various neighborhood events.
- Niles 6-9 p.m. Oak Park, Main and Ottawa.
- Oakbrook Terrace: 6 p.m. Heritage Center and Heritage Park, 1S325 Ardmore Ave.
- Oswego: 7 p.m. Oswego High, baseball fields, 4550 Rte. 71.
- Park Ridge: Hodges Park, Butler at Courtland.
- Plainfield: 5:30-8 p.m. Downtown Village Green, Des Plaines at Chicago.
- Rolling Meadows: 6-8:30 p.m. Community Center, 3705 Pheasant Dr.
- St. Charles: 6-8:30 p.m. Route 38 at Peck Road.
- Schaumburg: 6:30-9:30 p.m. Meinecke Rec Center, 220 E. Weathersfield Way.
- Skokie: 6-9 p.m. Oakton Park, 4701 Oakton St.
- Tinley Park: Zabrocki Plaza, 17300 Oak Park Ave.
- Vernon Hills: 4 p.m. Hartmann Park, 292 Oakwood Rd.
- West Chicago: 6-8:30 p.m. Reed-Keppler Park, 201 W. National St.
- Wonder Lake: Harrison Benwell Conservation Area, 7055 McCullom Lake Rd.
