FORT HOOD (Now designated Fort Cavazos), Texas — Fort Hood (Now designated Fort Cavazos) along with the Texas Crime Prevention Association will host the Texas National Night Out Press Conference kicking off National Night Out in Texas 10 a.m. Sept. 27 at the Marvin Leath Visitors Center located at 69004 T.J. Mills Blvd., here.
This is the 39th Annual National Night Out which was created by the National Association of Town Watch (NATW) in 1984 to strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships. The intent is to heightened crime and drug prevention awareness, create police-community partnerships and send a message to criminals letting them know neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.
This will be the fifteenth year Texas has had the option to hold National Night Out on the first Tuesday in August or October. National Night Out continues to grow in popularity throughout the State of Texas and is one of the most effective tools available to combat crime and drugs in our communities. It creates a powerful network among neighbors and empowers individual households to fight crime and drugs at the grass root level – block by block, according to LT. Andrew Samarripa, Fort Hood (Now designated Fort Cavazos) Directorate of Emergency Services Law Enforcement Division
Texas has won 1st place for 24 of the 25 years of award submissions for our National Night Out involvement with events held all across Texas. According to NATW, Texas had more than 1,500 registered NNO events in 2019 prior to Covid-19 pandemic and 1,985 registered NNO events in 2021. Putting this into perspective, one registrant may be a city with 45 neighborhood block parties. This year, we have more than 1,500 registered so far.
There will be interview opportunities with Vicki Stonaker, president of the Texas Crime Prevention Association, Chief Jason O’Malley, Pflugerville Police Department, Chief Joseph Chacon, Austin Police Department, and Col. Ann M. Meredith, 89th Military Police Brigade commander.
Media wishing to attend should call (254) 291-2317 by 8 a.m. Sept. 27.
On Sept. 27, media should meet Fort Hood (Now designated Fort Cavazos) Public Affairs representatives at the Marvin Leath Visitors Center near the Fort Hood (Now designated Fort Cavazos) entrance sign at 9:30 a.m.
