National Night Out/Night to Unite brings neighborhoods together

Night to Unite, or National Night Out as it is also called, is a wonderful event that brings old friends together and introduces new ones. It is an opportunity for communities to come together and celebrate and is a chance to promote safety and awareness in our neighborhoods. 

National Night Out began in 1984 as a way to promote neighborhood involvement in helping reduce crime and partnering with local law enforcement. It was a way for the neighborhood to be involved and to fight back against the bad influences. Now more than 37 million people in 15,000 communities across America, the US Territories, Canadian cities and military bases worldwide participate in this excellent event. 

Here are some links to activities throughout our community on August 6th. 

White Bear Lake

http://www.whitebearlake.org/ 

Oakdale

http://www.ci.oakdale.mn.us/index.asp?Type=QUICKFORM&SEC={AC20ED16-AE6A-453A-90EE-17E5B9F841BD} 

Maplewood

http://www.ci.maplewood.mn.us/index.aspx?NID=467 

North St. Paul

http://www.ci.north-saint-paul.mn.us/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={45F649F2-DD5B-4634-A23F-7ACF27ED42F4} 

I encourage you to attend the event nearest you. These events are a lot of fun and do a lot for the community. Getting to know your neighbors and becoming familiar with your neighborhood is a great first step in combating crime.  By knowing who lives in your neighborhood and their activities, you can more easily detect unusual or suspicious activity and individuals who don’t belong.  Also, when neighbors communicate with each other about criminal incidents, they can help each other prevent and deter the occurrence of more crime.  For information on neighborhood watch groups, contact your local law enforcement agency. 

Here are some tips for preventing crime, courtesy of the Oakdale Police Department: 

• Never leave home or go to bed with the doors to your home left unlocked or the garage left open. If possible, park vehicles in a locked garage.
• Always lock your vehicle and lock any valuables in the trunk, or take them inside with you. Most commonly stolen items from vehicles: cellular telephones, cameras, video cameras, lap top computers, CDs or cassettes, sporting goods, cash, checks, and credit cards.
• Never leave keys or door openers in a vehicle that is parked outside. Thieves will take these items, return when you are not at home, and use them to enter your residence.
• Recreational vehicles should not be used as storage sheds. It is common for residents to return home from camping or fishing and leave valuable items in their R.V., which can usually be easily opened.
• It is strongly suggested that any checks you receive on a regular basis be directly deposited into your bank account. It is also strongly suggested that you not use your mailbox for outgoing mail. People who steal mail will not sort through it, they take it all. Not only is there a possibility that the thieves will attempt to cash your checks, but the checks will not go where you sent them. Many times, you will not be aware that the checks are gone until you receive a late notice. 

As always, please contact my office with any concerns or questions you have. I love to hear from you. You can reach me at 651-296-6820 (Capitol), send email to sen.chuck.wiger@senate.mn, or write to 205 State Capitol, 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. St. Paul, MN 55155.