Leesburg Police Plan National Night Out Events

Leesburg residents will be hosting barbecues and ice cream socials out in front of their homes as an opportunity to get to know each other and, as a result, try to make the neighborhood a safer place.

Between 6:30 and 9 p.m. Tuesday, residents are invited to turn on their porch lights and mingle as part of National Night Out. Already, more than 100 communities in Virginia are registered to participate.

This nationwide event began in the 1970s as a way to get people out of their homes and meet each other with the common purpose of making communities safer by raising crime prevention awareness. The idea behind the event is that if residents get to know each other better, they will be more likely to work together to help keep their neighborhoods safe.

In Leesburg, the Sycamore Hill Subdivision is this year's central NNO spot. Starting at 6 p.m. at the subdivision's pool house, at 402 Ginkgo Terrace, residents can enjoy free food, door prizes and meet McGruff the Crime Dog along with Leesburg police officers.

The crime prevention unit,police cars and motorcycles and the LPD Mobile Command Center will also be at the event. 

Another event is planned for the located at 246 West Market Street, NW. Leesburg Police Officers, along with Leesburg Police Support team members will be on hand (along with free food and door prizes for children).

At both events, LPD will be distributing information on "Lock, Take, Hide or Lose, a crime prevention program, and a new program, TIPSOFT!, for crime tips. 

More information on National Night Out is available at www.natw.org/nno.

-- Patch’s Adam Swart and Joan Dentler contributed to this report.