Last week, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office and the Charlotte County Victim Witness Program announced the revitalization of National Night Out in the county.

In recent years, the event had not been celebrated.

However, on Aug. 7 from 4-7 p.m., Charlotte County will join in on the annual event designed to increase positive interactions between local police departments and the communities they serve.

We applaud those who took the initiative to reintroduce National Night Out in Charlotte County. While the planning and execution of such events can often be overwhelming, creating a sense of police/community partnerships is even more important in current times.

In light of some recent negative press associated with law enforcement across the nation, we believe National Night Out provides a positive atmosphere to interact with local law enforcement in a laidback setting.

Hopefully these positive interactions will eradicate a level of fear on both sides.

According to the National Night Out website, “National Night Out is an annual community building campaign that promotes police/community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live.”

Additionally, personal interactions with law enforcement can also help to create a sense of comfort and confidence in your local department.

As an annual event, their website said National Night Out is celebrated in all 50 states, on military bases and U.S. territories.

Currently, the National Night Out event in Charlotte County is slated to be held at the Charlotte Court House Dixie Youth Ballpark and will feature entertainment for all ages including music, food, school supplies, emergency vehicles, a bounce house, face painting, informational booths and more.

Information from the event said a parade of law enforcement and emergency vehicles would kick off the event and a hot dog dinner would be provided.

We applaud those who are hard at work behind the scenes to once again make National Night Out in Charlotte County a reality.