See how Long Beach's National Night Outs took over Kennedy Plaza

The City of Long Beach Police Department marked its annual National Night Out celebration Tuesday evening in Kennedy Plaza.

A crowd estimated between 300 to 400 turned out in front of City Hall in hopes of bridging relations between community members and the police.

There was music, hot dogs, popcorn, a bouncy ride for the kids, and good vibes all around.

National Night Out is more than a local Long Beach event. It’s a nationwide effort aimed at strengthening the relationship between local Police Departments and the communities they protect.

“The department is committed to building these bonds in organic settings, so when their services are needed, the trust and relationships already exist,” the department said in a statement. “Together, we can tackle the challenges facing our community.”

Since it’s beginning in 1984, National Night Out has been celebrated nationwide and is currently held in 17,000 communities across the entire country.

Long Beach’s rendition of National Night Out is sponsored by a coalition of organizations, the City of Long Beach, the North Park Crisis Team, Community-Police Relations Foundation, Motorola, Studio Noir and the Long Beach Commanding Officers Association.

The event kicked off with an address by Police Commissioner and City Manager Ronald Walsh. In his opening remarks, he went into the history of National Night Out and outlined its core mission.

Walsh then dove right into discussing the evening’s proceedings, as well as recognize the work the Long Beach Police Department has done.

“Please be sure as you walk around, to visit all of our tables and enjoy everything that we have to offer,” he said. “For the past several years, the Long Beach Police Department has really been working hard in community policing and tonight, it shows.”

Walsh then said that the Long Beach Police Department has received an approval rating of 90% for this year. This high rate of public approval, he said, he believes is indicative of the positive experiences individuals have had with the department.

Walsh credited this overwhelming support to the officers that he works with each day.

Every year during National Night Out, the City of Long Beach and the Long Beach Police Department take the opportunity to honor an individual, a group, or a department for their outstanding community service by presenting them with a plaque. This year, the recognition was given to the city’s sanitation department.

“The sanitation workers strive every single day to keep our city clean, and they work tirelessly throughout the year,” Walsh said. “They not only pick up waste, but they take those extra steps every single year and consistently show how much they care for this city.”

Walsh ended his speech by encouraging the community to increase their engagement with the local police department, highlighting the importance of communal relationships in maintaining public safety.

“We look forward to getting to know more and more people in this town and sharing better and deeper relationships,” he said. “Please when you see a police officer out in the street, please say hello to them. It’s the first step to building a safer and safer community and more caring community.”

The event included food, crafts, bounce houses, giveaways, live music and more activities for attendees to enjoy.

The Community Police Relations Foundation also had a Mister Softee truck come to personally serve the event.

Participants at the event had the chance to connect with local police officers. Additionally, they could visit various tables from different organizations in the area to access information about the variety of services that each organization provides.