Night to Unite Connects Neighbors, City Officials in Apple Valley

From neighborhood cookouts with grills and picnic tables, to large potlucks with hired clowns and magicians, neighborhood parties are a common occurrence during the summer months.

But the annual Night to Unite get-together sets itself apart from others. It's a special night—set for Aug. 2 this year—to connect with other residents, not just for social purposes, but to make the community a safer place to live.

The event isn’t just about neighbors connecting to neighbors. The police department, the fire department and city council members will also be out to discuss the important issues in residents' neighborhood.

“We will go visit as many parties as we can,” Crime Prevention Specialist Pam Walter said. “It gives city officials a chance to connect with the community.”

For more than 25 years, communities across the United States celebrated National Night Out, which had the same goals, but three years ago the city of Apple Valley decided to latch on to a statewide initiative instead of being under the national umbrella.

Now, Night to Unite is in its third year, and so far 107 parties have registered in Apple Valley, the largest number the city has seen since the beginning of the program, Walter said.

Apple Valley Business Watch—a nonprofit group that connects the business community to promote community safety—also is the day of Night to Unite. From 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Aug. 2, residents can buy food, participate in a raffle and receive free prizes at Fire Station No. 1, at the corner of Hayes Road and County Rd. 42.

Although city officials hope that more crime will be prevented because of Night to Unite, prevention is hard to measure. But the night gives the Apple Valley Police Department, the fire department and city officials the opportunity to strengthen the relationships between themselves and the communities they serve.

The Apple Valley Police Department also leads other initiatives around the community to make the city a safer place. They put on multi-housing programs to teach apartment managers and residents how to stay safe. They also send out email alerts to neighborhoods and communities where a crime has taken place, and are working to get on Facebook and Twitter to better connect with residents.