From church fellowship halls to neighborhood cul-de-sacs, citizens all over St. Tammany Parish came out in support of the 25th annual National Night Out Against Crime Tuesday.

Slidell City Councilwoman Kim Harbison, making the rounds with Slidell Police Chief Freddie Drennan, was pleased to see so much participation.

“Every place we’ve been has had a great turnout,” said Harbison. “This has to be the biggest one yet.”

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Drennan, despite being under the weather, made it a point to visit as many block parties as possible over the course of the evening. He said he was appreciative of Slidell’s residents and commented on several occasions on the importance of community involvement.

“I am so proud to be part of a city where the people look out for one another,” he said. “Crime takes a nose dive when that happens.”

Nearly 40 block parties were set to take place around the parish, and thousands of communities around the country were expected to participate in the event, designed to deter crime by helping police and other community safety officials make a connection with local residents.

Neighbors were encouraged to come out and meet one another, and many events featured potluck suppers and numerous children’s activities, like the inflatable space walk at Lenny Forstall’s house in Olde Towne Slidell.

Many citizens said they were thrilled to meet so many new people. Tina Serigne, who moved from St. Bernard Parish to the Suncrest neighborhood in Slidell just over a year ago, was impressed.

“This is the first time I’ve really met any of my neighbors,” she said. “It’s really nice to know we can count on each other to keep an eye on things.”