Politics & Government
More than 2,500 Attend Manassas Park's National Night Out
Manassas Park residents and even people from outside the city attended National Night Out Tuesday in Signal Hill Park.
More than 2,500 people visited Tuesday for Manassas Park's annual National Night Out celebration.
The event was organized by Manassas Park Police who invited others from the law enforcement community, such as the U.S. Marshals and the Virginia State Police to the event.
In addition to law enforcement, several business and restaurants were present and many provided free food and drink for the masses who attended.
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Within a matter of hours, attendees had consumed the following:
- 640 hamburgers
- 495 hot dogs
- 600 Chick-fil-A sandwiches
- 500 sub sandwiches
- 675 slices of pizzas
- 300 or more breadsticks
- 25 Watermelons
Other businesses, such as Nationwide and PatientFirst, set up tents and offered brain food in the form of helpful information.
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The Team Joe 15 club and other not-for-profit groups were also present, while local politicans and city officials walked around meeting residents.
Law enforcement agencies in attendance took the opportunity to showcase the equipment used to serve the public, such as mobile command units, armored cars, helicopers and motorcycles.
One of the main purposes of National Night Out, which is held the first Tuesday of every August, is to send a message to criminals that the community is banded together with police to combat crime.
"The importance of this effort cannot be overstated, as it allows law enforcement agencies to promote community unity and partnership in fighting crime together," Manassas Park Police Community Resource Officer William "Quiz" Quesenberry said in June. "National Night Out allows us to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the community and openly expresses a united front against crime within our community."
National Night Out is also the chance for neighbors to get together and meet and enjoy one another.
Other communities in the nation elect to host flashlight walks around their neighborhoods or throw block parties in support of National Night Out. It is also tradition for neighbors to leave their porch lights on.
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