Crime prevention: Ogden police, other area agencies to host residents during annual Night Out events
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- An undated photo of activities at a Night Out Against Crime event hosted by the Ogden City Police Department.
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- In this undated photo, Ogden City Police Chief Jake Sube poses with young residents at a Night Out Against Crime community event.
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- An undated photo of activities at a Night Out Against Crime event hosted by the Ogden City Police Department.
OGDEN — Over the next several weeks, law enforcement agencies around Northern Utah will be gathering with the residents of their respective jurisdictions in an effort to foster and promote community partnership as part of the National Night Out initiative.
That includes the Ogden City Police Department, which will host its annual Ogden’s Night Out Against Crime event Aug. 14 from 5-7 p.m. at the Marshall N. White Community Center.
OPD Community Outreach Coordinator Diana Lopez told the Standard-Examiner that maintaining strong relationships within the community through positive interactions and events like Night Out Against Crime is crucial to keeping the city’s neighborhoods safe.
“It’s really just an evening where the community and law enforcement can come together and build those bridges and build those connections to be able to help each other fight crime,” Lopez said. “We’re never going to be able to get to the place where we can fight crime by ourselves. It’s really a community effort — the more neighbors can get to know each other, communities can get to know each other, the better it is going to be in the long run for law enforcement and the community.”
This year’s free-admission Night Out will feature an arcade trailer; canine demonstrations; giveaways of bicycles, bike helmets and gun safes; food prepared by the Fraternal Order of Police; and other activities. The first floor of the Marshall White Center also will be open for free tours, basketball and soccer clinics/scrimmages.
The center’s indoor soccer facility — the Nathan James Lyday Fieldhouse — was named in honor of an OPD officer who was killed in the line of duty in 2020.
Lopez said that the event also will provide residents an opportunity to interact with and ask questions of officers in a safe, comfortable environment.
“We know that most of the time when people are calling law enforcement, it is probably not the best day for them. So, we want to give them the opportunity to come and literally just hang out and enjoy getting to know our officers,” she said. “It’s also a great opportunity for our officers as a reminder that not everyone that they’re dealing with is someone who’s committing a crime.
“It’s a chance for our officers to be more engaging and just enjoy the time versus having to be responding to a call.”
OPD will be joined by the Clearfield Police Department and multiple agencies in Syracuse in holding Night Out events. Clearfield’s Night Out Against Crime will be held Aug. 28 from 6-8 p.m. at Steed Park. The Syracuse City Public Safety Jamboree, meanwhile, will be held Oct. 2 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at Syracuse Fire Station 31.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah also will join its law enforcement partners, neighbors and communities at events statewide.
National Night Out was established in 1984 with funding from the Bureau of Justice Assistance of the U.S. Department of Justice. The program is administered by the nonprofit National Association of Town Watch.
