[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 15251-15252]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


         NATIONAL NIGHT OUT: AMERICA'S NIGHT OUT AGAINST CRIME

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BART STUPAK

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 26, 2002

  Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strong support 
for a highly successful community-based crime prevention program known 
as National Night Out. NNO, which will occur on August 6, 2002, is 
widely known as America's night out against crime where people in 
thousands of communities take to the streets to support their 
communities.
  Since 1984, the NNO has promoted neighborhood watch programs and 
established police community partnerships in the fight against crime. 
It has expanded from a program involving 2.5 million people in 400 
communities in 1984 to nearly 33 million people in 10,000 communities 
in 2002. National Night Out, which receives part of its funding from 
the Byrne Grant program, is one of the fastest growing, cost effective 
community anti-crime programs in the nation.
  National Night Out was created by the National Association of Town 
Watch (NATW), a nonprofit, community crime prevention membership 
organization in Wynnewood, PA. NATW develops relationships between the 
local community and law enforcement officers in order to build safer 
and more secure neighborhoods to reduce crime, decrease local violence, 
and lower the demand for drugs. NATW provides information, program 
support and technical assistance to its associated members, which 
include Neighborhood, Crime, Community, Town and Block Watch groups, 
law enforcement agencies, state and regional crime prevention 
organizations, businesses, civic groups, and community volunteers.
  I greatly support the mission of NATW and National Night Out, and in 
past Congresses have introduced resolutions in recognition of NNO, and 
have supported continued funding for the program. The House passed 
resolutions in support of National Night Out in 2000 and 2001.
  This year I have again introduced a resolution expressing support of 
the House for this important event. H. Res. 437 commends National Night 
Out and encourages the President and his administration to focus 
appropriate attention on neighborhood crime prevention and community 
policing, and to coordinate federal efforts to participate in 
``National Night Out'', including supporting local efforts, 
neighborhood watches and local officials to provide homeland security.
  I am grateful to Chairman Sensenbrenner and the Judiciary Committee 
for last week's voice vote passage of this resolution, and I thank 
Chairman Sensenbrenner for his great help on this issue.
  Recently the Senate passed Senators Biden and Specter's companion 
resolution on NNO, S. Res. 284. The Senators have also authored an op-
ed that appeared in several newspapers, highlighting NNO, neighborhood 
watch, volunteerism and community-crime prevention. I commend the op-ed 
written by Senators Biden and Specter and request that it be included 
in the Record.
  Neighborhood watch and community crime prevention are especially 
important in the aftermath of September 11th and I encourage my 
colleagues to participate in NNO on August 6th.

                How Neighbors Can Help Thwart Terrorism

                 (By Joseph R. Biden and Arlen Specter)

       Remember when neighbors knew neighbors? Remember front 
     porches? Remember hot summer nights when families sat on the 
     front stoop and talked over the fence?
       On Aug. 6 of this year, more than 33 million people in 
     9,700 communities from all 50 states will participate in the 
     19th-annual National Night Out to revitalize the America's 
     neighborhood spirit and remind us of a time when neighbors 
     routinely looked out for one another, and everyone knew the 
     cop on the beat. This year, as our nation recovers from the 
     shock of Sept. 11, we encourage everyone to participate.
       This will be a National Night Out Against Crime, and we 
     urge every citizen from coast to coast to turn on outside 
     lights, to took over the fence and open the gates, get to 
     know your neighbors, meet with local police, and participate 
     in block parties and parades.
       In concert with the National Association of Town Watch, 
     National Night Out has been at the forefront of community 
     crime prevention and neighborhood watch for nearly two 
     decades, encouraging citizens to become active supporters and 
     caretakers of their communities.
       The effort involves citizens in all 50 states who volunteer 
     to make a difference by leading anti-crime efforts in their 
     communities--restoring the sense that we are all members of a 
     community and that our common concerns and shared values are 
     as important as individual rights. When we act together, and 
     look out for one another, our communities become safer and 
     fundamentally better places in which to live and raise our 
     families.
       One of the reasons we so strongly support the concept of 
     neighborhood watch is that it literally grew up in our back 
     yard. The seeds of National Night Out were planted in our 
     tri-state area of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware 
     nearly two decades ago.
       What began in a few mid-Atlantic states has now grown to 
     become a national grass-roots event supporting communities 
     organized in local chapters to fight crime year round. It is 
     an amazing event when you consider that currently one out of 
     every nine Americans participates.
       We believe in a neighborhood watch concept because it 
     works. Studies show that 95 percent of all police arrests are 
     the direct result of a citizen phone call. They also show 
     that neighborhood watch programs effectively lower crime 
     rates.
       Neighborhood Watch programs, like those championed during 
     the National Night Out event, have been a valuable part of 
     crime and drug prevention for decades. Today, crime watch 
     programs also can play an important role in heightening 
     awareness to combat terrorism and uniting neighborhoods to 
     respond and assist one another in the event of emergencies.
       At a time when homeland security is on the minds of 
     everyone, we support every effort to bring Americans together 
     by persuading them to volunteer in their communities.
       With the nation on a permanent terror alert, neighborhood 
     volunteers can play a crucial role in identifying potential 
     dangers and, if need be, alerting law enforcement and 
     emergency officials. Psychologically, the

[[Page 15252]]

     knowledge that trusted members of our community are providing 
     an extra measure of security should reassure everyone.
       We applaud every effort to support Neighborhood Watch 
     because it is about building community, preventing crime, 
     and, now, thwarting terrorism. Working side by side with 
     local law enforcement, neighborhood crime watch groups are an 
     invaluable resource.
       The tragic events of last Sept. 11 reminded us of the 
     importance of family and friends, faith, neighbors, and 
     communities. It also reminded us how closely all of America's 
     communities are linked.
       Every year, National Night Out serves as a great 
     opportunity for Americans to get to know their neighbors, 
     become involved in their communities, and show their sense of 
     patriotism.
       This Aug. 6, National Night Out will bring Americans 
     together again to help make a difference, one doorstep at a 
     time. Let's all be part of it.

     

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