Brookhaven Campus police officers chatted with attendees during the National Night Out event held in the Commons Courtyard on Oct. 5. The event was an opportunity for faculty, students and staff to meet their neighbors as well as the police community on campus.

Brookhaven Police Cdr. Mark Lopez said he felt the event was a success. “We made contact with several students and we were able to speak with them about our police services,” he said. 

Sgt. Nona Titus, Brookhaven police officer, said the purpose of an event like National Night Out is to get to know the Brookhaven community and for the community to get to know the policing community. She said, “[It’s] to let them know we are here for them.”

Titus has been a police officer for 10 years. She has worked at various campuses and said she enjoys getting to know everyone.

According to the National Night Out website, this is an annual event meant to promote police and community partnerships. In most states, the event is held the first Tuesday in August, but in Texas, National Night Out takes place the first Tuesday in October.

This event began in Philadelphia in 1970 with a local volunteer. It was not until August of 1984 that National Night Out was established in conjunction with an already established network of neighborhood watch groups. 

According to the National Night Out website, the first event involved 2.5 million neighbors across 400 communities in 23 states.

All Dallas College campuses hosted a National Night Out event and advertised the events with fun, food, music and prizes in order to draw more visitors.