NATIONAL NIGHT OUT
WHEREAS, National Night Out is the nation's largest grassroots community crime-prevention
effort, involving 33.2 million people in 9,859 communities in all 50 states; and
WHEREAS, National Night Out establishes police/community partnerships and community watch
initiatives through its annual event and year round programs; and
WHEREAS, National Night Out is a valuable and effective community crime prevention program
supported by many mayors and local officials, local law enforcement, citizens, businesses, the U.S.
Department of Justice and Presidents and Members of Congress of both parties for two decades;
and
WHEREAS, National Night Out, organized and run by the National Association of Town Watch,
directly addresses community crime, safety, and security problems, helping mayors and local law
enforcement officials to meet these challenges; and
WHEREAS, the fight against neighborhood crime and terrorism requires the cooperation of
community residents, neighborhood crime watch organizations, schools, community policing
groups, law enforcement officers, and mayors and other local officials; and
WHEREAS, community crime watch organizations are effective in promoting awareness about,
and the participation of volunteers in, crime prevention activities at the local level; and
WHEREAS, the vigilance of community crime watch organizations creates safer communities and
discourages criminals from operating in communities monitored by those organizations; and
WHEREAS, neighborhood and community crime watch programs play an integral role in
combating domestic terrorism by increasing vigilance and awareness and encouraging citizen
participation in community safety and homeland security; and
WHEREAS, National Night Out efforts to create and support local community watch programs
have proven to be effective in providing local law enforcement with crime tips that lead to arrests;
and
WHEREAS, federal support for National Night Out increases the number of community watch
groups nationwide, supports crime prevention services to existing community watch programs, and
is a catalyst for private sector support of community crime prevention; and
WHEREAS, National Night Out will celebrate its 20th Anniversary on Tuesday, August 5, 2003
when citizens, mayors and local officials, local law enforcement, business people, and others will
celebrate "America's Night Out Against Crime" and participate in events to support community
crime prevention programs; and
WHEREAS, National Night Out is supporting the National Child Identification Program, a joint
partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the American Football Coaches
Association, to provide identification kits to parents to help locate missing children,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that The U.S. Conference of Mayors strongly
supports National Night Out and urges the U.S. Congress to fully support the program to provide
essential crime prevention support and services to cities, towns and local communities.
©2003 U.S. Conference of Mayors 
