National Night Out Returns To Howard County In 2022

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — The Howard County Police Department will participate in National Night Out 2022 on August 2 as part of a nationwide push to strengthen police and community relations.

The nationwide event "promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer," according to the National Association of Town Watch, the organization that founded the annual early August event in 1984.

The Howard County Department will host National Night Out on Tuesday, August 2 from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. at Long Reach High School, which is at 6101 Old Dobbin Lane in Columbia.

"If you are planning a neighborhood block party and would like police or fire department resources or elected officials to visit, you need to register your party by July 15. Parties registered by July 15 will receive priority for police attendance," the department posted on its official Facebook page. To register, click here.

Since 1984, communities across the country have held National Night Out events on the first Tuesday of August. Block parties, festivals, parades, cookouts and other community events have been popular ways to celebrate the outreach-focused event.

More than 2 million Americans took part in the first National Night Out. Now, the event is celebrated in more than 16,000 communities across all 50 states, according to the National Association of Town Watch.