Parish is fighting crime, one party at a time

On Tuesday, neighborhoods throughout St. Tammany Parish will join forces with thousands of communities nationwide for the 25th annual National Night Out 2008: America’s Night Out Against Crime.

National Night Out is sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch and Target and co-sponsored locally by law enforcement agencies around the parish. It will involve more than 11,000 communities in all 50 states, Canada and military bases around the world. In all, over 35.4 million people are expected to participate in America’s Night out Against Crime.

The event was first introduced in 1984 after NATW Executive Director Matt Peskin realized that in a typical “crime watch” community, only five to seven percent of residents were active participants.

There are four basic tenets of the program:

Heighten crime and drug prevention awareness.

Generate support for, and participation in, local anti-crime efforts.

Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships.

Send a message to criminals, letting them know neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.

Residents in neighborhoods throughout the parish are asked to spend the evening outside their homes with their neighbors, police officers and firefighters.

The idea is to hold a block party where neighbors can pull up a chair, enjoy food and drink and spend time getting to know one another.

Chief of Police Freddy Drennan and other members of the Slidell Police Department will travel to each party in Slidell to meet and speak with each group. In addition, St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Jack Strain is scheduled to attend parties all over the parish.

“I encourage neighborhoods throughout the parish to sponsor a gathering as part of this important national event. Whatever type of event you have, we would like to be a part of it,” said Strain.

Suggestions for a successful block party:

Form a block party committee to organize and coordinate the party. Give each committee member a certain task to handle, i.e., food, tables, music, entertainment, etc.

Make it potluck, and ask each family to bring a dish. Grill burgers and hotdogs; supply drinks, chips and utensils; folding tables and chairs;

Music for a background effect; some neighborhoods have hired a DJ to supply music.

Activities for the children. Suggestions include a “space walk” or similar inflatable device; contests, such as hula-hoop, limbo, sack race, etc.; Games, like volleyball, basketball, or ping-pong.

Set up a television outside with a video game system for those video-hooked teens, or with cable for “couch-potato” adults.

Temperatures are expected to be hot, so provide fans and a water-type feature, such as a sprinkler or a small plastic or inflatable swimming pool.

Although block parties nationwide are scheduled from 7-10 p.m., each individual neighborhood may choose their own hours. Parties can be started earlier or later, or for shorter or longer periods of time, and provisions for lighting should be made for parties that last into the night.

Block parties are also a good time to recruit new members for the neighborhood’s homeowner’s association or neighborhood watch programs. A sign up booth or table is suggested.

Neighborhoods and residents interested in participating in this year’s National Night Out Against Crime and who are located inside the city limits of Slidell are asked to call and schedule their block parties with Slidell Police Capt. Kevin Foltz at 646-4350.

Those in unincorporated areas of the parish are advised to contact Lt. Fred Escher in the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office at fredescher@stpso.com or 867-5173.

The following is a partial list of National Night Out parties scheduled to take place around the parish on Aug. 5:

Abita Springs

Ingram Estates, 702 Lionel Court

7 to 9 p.m.

Covington

Greater Covington Center, 317 N. Jefferson Ave.

5 to 9 p.m.

Guest speaker: Gayle Sloan, St. Tammany Parish School Board

Activities: Pony rides, chili cook-off, musical entertainment and door prizes

Contact: Connie Jenkins, 871-8751

Highland Oaks Estates, Community pool

7 to 8:30 p.m.

The Highlands, 421 Highland Crest Drive

7 p.m. until dusk

Penn Mill Lakes, Pool House

7 to 9 p.m.

Tallow Creek, 533 Moore Blvd.

7 to 9 p.m.

Tammany Terrace, 20122 Tammany Ave.

6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Lacombe

Lacombe Harbor, 59152 West Harbor Drive

6 to 8 p.m.

Mandeville

Carriage Lane Estates, 4560 Marquette St.

6 to 9 p.m.

Crestwood Park

6 to 8 p.m.

Emerald Pines, Emerald Pines Court cul-de-sac

6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Forest Brook Estates, 1121 Brook Ct.

6 to 9 p.m.

Greenleaves, Village Drive

6 to 7 p.m.

Lakewood Heights

6 to 8 p.m.

Activities: residents will walk the neighborhood, passing out glow sticks, bottled water and freezer pops.

Contact: Ken Winn, 626-4697

Mandeville Trailhead, Girod Street

6 to 9 p.m.

Food provided by: Trey Yuen, Sweet Daddy’s Barbecue, and La Carreta’s Mexican Restaurant, Mandeville Police Department, Compass Capital Management and Pepsi Inc.

Activities: Door prizes, information booths, Bounce House, and the Fire District 4 Smoke Trailer.

Contact: Lt. Judy Carrier or Officer Eric Gulino, 624-3111

Marigny Trace, 288 Bunting cul-de-sac

6 to 8 p.m.

Activities: poster contest, face painting, bike decorating, hat making.

Contact: Miriam Fleischer, 727-0045

Oak Island, 15 Lorio Lane

6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Madisonville

Highland Oaks Estates, Community pool

7 to 8:30 p.m.

Slidell

Ashton Oaks, 444 East Red Bud Drive

7 p.m. until dusk

Bel Air Pool House, 2504 Headwaters Drive

6 to 9 p.m.

Brugier Homeowner’s Assoc.

Teddy Ave. Park, between 5th and 6th Streets

Starts at 6:30 p.m.

Food provided by: Potluck supper

Contact: Landon Cusimano, 649-5449

CrossGates, 102 Oakleaf

6 to 8 p.m.

CrossGates, 129/133 Thatcher

6 to 8 p.m.

Doubloon Bayou Estates, Corner of Doubloon and Blackbeard

Starts at 7:30 p.m.

Activities: Residents will walk the neighborhood

Forest Ridge, 1030 Forest Ridge Loop

4 to 7:30 p.m.

Frenchmen’s Estates, 110 Belle Cherie

6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Magnolia Forest Community Pool

6 to 8 p.m.

Masters Point/Oak Harbor, 303 W. Honors Point Court

7 to 9 p.m.

New Kingspoint Community Pool

6 to 8 p.m.

North Slidell Community Homeowner’s Assoc.

Macedonia Baptist Church, 60183 Bryan Road

4 to 10 p.m.

Activities: Talent show, dance contest, comedy, water games

Contact: 643-4710

North Son Moore Road Assoc.

63260 North Son Moore Road

4 to 9 p.m.

Activities: Talent show, dance contest, comedy, water games

Contact: 504-610-2863

Olde Towne Resident’s Assoc.

2601 Carey St.

6 to 9 p.m.

Contact: Andy Prude, 285-7886

Pebble Brook Phase I, 104 Short St.

6 to 8 p.m.

Pentecostal Missionary Baptist Church

36138 Shady Lane

5 to 7 p.m.

Activities: Games, food, door prizes, school supplies for first 50 children grades K-12

Guest speaker: Sharon Green, State Farm Insurance

Contact: 641-5527

Pinecrest South

676 Hailey Ave.

6:30 to 9 p.m.

Contact: Mary Bailey, 643-2577

Springhill, Wellington Lane cul-de-sac

6 to 8 p.m.

Suncrest

398 Suncrest Drive

5 to 8 p.m.

Contact: Pam Hart, 788-2328