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National Night Out was held recently at the Greenspoint area park, an annual event staged since 1984 to bring together local communities and law enforcement agencies in a positive setting to address crime in their neighborhoods.
“It’s a big deal for us,” Greg Simpson of the North Houston District said in a release about this year’s event. “For us, in the district as a whole, there are 68 apartment communities and in this stretch, there are about 20 to 25 fairly high-density living spaces, so we want to make sure that residents that live in these communities have a chance to interact with law enforcement that serves the area.”
According to a release, more than 125 adults and children participated in the festivities. Capt. Chris Heaven of the Houston Police Department said National Night Out offers law enforcement an important chance to show a different side of themselves and their job serving and protecting the north Houston community.
“It’s great because it’s a whole different chance for us to get to show the difference in us and get to know the community while having a positive interaction,” Heaven said in the release.
Deginald Freeman, a 10-year resident of the Greenspoint neighborhood, said that events like National Night Out are crucial to help establish relationships in the community for both residents and police alike.
“It’s a lot nicer seeing them here,” Freeman said, adding that he saw a sheriff’s deputy who had pulled him over earlier this year. “They don’t know what is in the neighborhood and treat everyone the same thinking that you’re part of the bad. We need more police officers out here meeting families. It would change the way people look at them.”
The event was held on the heels of the City of Houston increasing the budget for their police department by $30 million in June. It was part of more than $600 million in federal COVID-19 relief. Houston will receive half of the funding from the American Rescue Plan Act this year and the second half next year.