FMPD Joins Neighborhoods for National Night Out

August 5, 2012

“FMPD Joins Neighborhoods for National Night Out”

On Tuesday, August 6, 2012 the Fort Myers Police Department and neighborhoods throughout the City will join forces with thousands of communities nationwide for the “30th Annual National Night Out” (NNO) crime and drug prevention event. National Night Out, which is sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch (NATW) and co-sponsored locally by FMPD, will involve over 15,000 communities from all 50 states, U.S. territories, Canadian cities and military bases around the world. Last year more than 37 million people participated in America’s night out against crime. National Night Out is designed to:

1. Heighten crime and drug prevention awareness.
2. Generate support for and participation in local anticrime efforts.
3. Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police community partnerships.
4. Send a message to criminals letting them know neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.

This year’s NNO Community Celebration “Giving Crime the Boot” will take place at Clemente Park located at 1936 Henderson Avenue from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The event will include an anticrime march that will begin at the intersection of Blount and Pauldo Streets at 5:30 p.m. Participants will walk east on Blount Street to Ford Street, south on Ford Street to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and then to Henderson Avenue and into the park.  Other activities include a pledge against violence, praise dancers from local churches and several Gospel performances. Residents are asked to turn on outside lights and spend the evening outside celebrating the partnerships between neighbors and police. Members of the media are welcome to attend.

Corporate Sponsors and Vendors include the following:  City of Fort Myers, Florida Forest Service, Florida Highway Patrol, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Children’s Network of Southwest Florida, PACE Center for Girls, Southwest Florida Addiction Services, Lee County Health Department, Stay Alive Just Drive, Lee County Homeless Coalition, Boys and Girls Club, YMCA, The Bridge Youth Center, Gideon’s International, Home Depot, Miracle Baseball, American Red Cross, The Salvation Army, Lee Memorial Health System, Safe Kids, WRXY-TV, Taking the City Ministries, Pepsi Inc., Coca-Cola Inc., Perkins Restaurant, Rita’s Ice, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Walmart, Subway, Hooters, Buffalo Wild Wings, Hurricane Grill & Wings, Frito-Lay, Balloons Over Fort Myers, Party City and Sweetbay. In addition, FMPD received a $750 grant from Target Public Safety to assist with the expenses associated with NNO. 

Shelly Flynn