Barksdale celebrates 4th Annual National Night Out

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman La'Shanette V. Garrett
  • 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La --  Despite temperatures of over 100 degrees, more than 200 participants and volunteers came out to celebrate Barksdale's fourth annual National Night Out Aug 2.

National Night Out is a community-police awareness-raising event and is 'America's Night Out Against Crime' which takes place on the first Tuesday of August. It's designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, generate support for and participation in local anti-crime programs, strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships, and send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are prepared and fighting back.

"We, the 2nd Security Forces Squadron, felt that it was extremely important to partner with The Landings at Barksdale and other entities on base to get the message out to the community that Barksdale Air Force Base is organized and fighting back," said Senior Airman Garrett Thompson, 2 SFS crime prevention. "Also, we wanted to asssure the community that we are working diligently against crime and to keep drugs off the streets of Barksdale."

The Landings at Barksdale community manager, Dreamer Dowden, started this event for Barksdale four years ago.

"I started this event for our base residents to show that we are a community just as if there were no gates surrounding us," said Dowden. "Even though we are behind these gates--there is crime and, we will work together as a community to prevent those crimes."

To show the Barksdale community just that, Team Barksdale celebrated through entertainment and educational activities such as free food, sno-cones, children's games, a cake walk, bounce castles, finger printing, weapons display, informational booths, the fire department along with Sparky the fire dog, military working dog K- 9 demonstration and crime dog Scruff McGruff.

The Barksdale Fire Department also handed out fire hats to all the children, along with drawings and prizes given away by the Exchange and Barksdale Enlisted Spouse Group.

National Night Out not only brings the community together, but it offers information to the public about crime prevention tools that are effective in today's society, stated Thompson.

"We hope that all parents and children are more aware of different ways to prevent and report crimes and prevent drugs from making it through the gates of Barksdale."

"I would like to thank the base, its entities and the local community for participating, donating and supporting this event," said Dowden. "Last year we won the National Award for all Air Force bases across the United States."

The Barksdale community looks forward to National Night Out 2012.

To view photos and a video of this event please log on to the Barksdale website at www.barksdale.af.mil.