National Night Out, also dubbed "America's Night Out Against Crime," returns Tuesday night. The is participating in the large-scale effort by staging "a giant block party" from 6 to 8 p.m.
The event will take place in front of the Public Safety Facility building located at 333 Olympic Dr. The event is free, and free parking will be available in the parking lot. Also, there will be a free bike valet on Main St., near Olympic Dr.
This year's theme is emergency preparedness. The and the are also participating in the event.
“National Night Out is an opportunity for the police department to honor the exceptional relationships our officers and community share," Chief Tim Jackman said in a statement. "This partnership helps Santa Monica be a safe place to live, work and visit. I look forward to seeing everyone at our annual event."
Last year, Santa Monica was recognized by the National Association of Town Watch, which organizes National Night Out, for its participation in the event. The city came in 18th on a list of award winners among cities with a population between 50,000 and 99,999 people.
NNO involves every state in the country, an estimated 15,000 communities and more than 37 million people. In Los Angeles County alone, 43 events are scheduled, according to the LA County Sheriff's Department.
This year's event will feature carnival games, prizes, a raffle, music, a dance performance by a local ballet folklórico group and a demonstration of mixed martial arts by kids who participate in the Police Activities League.
Local businesses have donated food, drinks and giveaways for the event. Local vendors will be participating as well.
The master of ceremonies will be FOX 11 news anchor Jeff Michael.
The SMPD is giving out free flashlights to the first 500 people who register for the event.
The 28-year-old National Night Out "has proven to be an effective, inexpensive and enjoyable program to promote neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships in our fight for a safer nation," the NNO Web site says.
In Santa Monica, sponsors include , , La Monarca Bakery, , the Santa Monica Police Officers’ Association and the .
Nationally, the event is sponsored by Bureau of Justice Assistance and Target.
