Albuquerque neighborhoods prepare for National Night Out

ALBUQUERQUE, NM – Tuesday is National Night Out. It’s a time for neighbors to come together and bridge gaps with law enforcement.

There are over 30 national night out events taking place in Albuquerque alone. The Raynolds Addition neighborhood will be hosting its National Night Out from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Bennie Hargrove Park.

Albuquerque Police and Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office deputies will be at several events around the metro to meet the people they serve and form connections outside of an emergency.

Most events also offer free food and activities for children. But while it’s just one night, APD and BCSO know that building relationships takes time. Both believe it needs to be done year-round.

BCSO Deputy Deanna Aragon said it’s also an opportunity for neighbors to see who is behind the badge.

“It’s an opportunity for them to see us outside of our normal work day, to interact with the kids and show them that we are normal human beings. We like to do the same things that you like to do. And then just show them things that they might care about. A lot of kids always ask about our equipment, they ask us to show them our patrol cars,” Aragon said.

Aragon says they have also created a community engagement team to ensure they have events with the community throughout the year to get to know them and listen to their concerns.

APD Public Information Officer Franchesca Perdue says rebuilding trust with the community has been a priority for years.

“By attending different community events, not just for National Night Out, but through our work with the Department of Justice, we’ve been able to rebuild that trust and open those lines of communication, where we have officers attending neighborhood meetings regularly. We have district coalition meetings with our city council members, and so we go out and try to listen to concerns, even among businesses,” Perdue said.

The New Mexico Black Leadership Council will also be hosting a National Night Out. Not only that, but they will also be launching the “IDEAS” network or the International District Engagement and Support Network.

Marcus Porter of NMBLC says they not only wanted to bridge the gap between neighbors and law enforcement, but also connect the community with local businesses.

“We wanted to develop a network so that they could support each other, so that we could come together in times of joy and sorrow and have a sort of unified voice for people who are driving economic development and things like that. We thought, well, what better time than a day focused on communities coming together and working along those lines,” Porter said.

The IDEAS network will link local businesses with resources, provide a support network, and organize community events to promote businesses.

South Los Altos Park will celebrate its National Night Out at Daniel Webster Memorial Park from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

KOB 4 spoke to a resident there, John Hooker, who says he’s excited to connect with his neighbors.

“Since we’re not sitting on our front porches anymore, but in front of our computers and TVs all night, not observing people in the neighborhood and not getting to know our neighbors, this is a way to build that kind of relationship,” Hooker said.

Hooker says he’s also looking forward to making those connections, but hopes they last more than one night.

“They’re here for one night. Maybe they come to a neighborhood association meeting once, once a month. But there are so many other things to talk about, like city parks, solid waste, stormwater, the Water Utility Authority, all kinds of issues, street maintenance. So the police are just another piece of the puzzle of civic participation and engagement,” Hooker said.

For more information on all National Night Out locations, click here.