Neighborhoods across The American Dream City celebrated National Night Out, Tuesday, Oct. 1.

The event promotes crime prevention, police-community partnership and neighborhood camaraderie. It encourages people to turn on their porch lights, step outside and get to know their neighbors at small block parties.

Arlington Police officers stopped by the parties to offer public safety tips and build community bonds.

"Policing is relational," said Arlington Police Chief Will Johnson. "So if you don't have a relationship with people, it's really hard to understand the things of concern for them in their neighborhood and also the things that are going really well. So we try to design the delivery of City services so people know their beat cop. They know the team of officers working to make their neighborhood the best it can be." 

Arlington's Pinehurst Meadows neighborhood won a contest to use the City's Block Party Trailer for the evening. The community was just one of several to host special events. 

"It helps to build that sense of trust in the community between law enforcement and the people of this community," said Pastor Kennedy Jones.