Community members and local elected officials from across Ridgewood, Glendale, Maspeth and Middle Village gathered to celebrate the 104th Precinct’s annual “National Night Out Against Crime” on Tuesday, Aug. 5, at Juniper Valley Park.
The event featured plenty of fun activities for people of all ages, including free food, community vendors, a free concert from the School of Rock sponsored by the Juniper Park Civic Association, dance performances, health screenings, games and more. There were also plenty of fun things for kids to do there, like get their faces painted or spin a wheel for prizes. The event also featured music from DJ King Uprock Casanova.
Some of the notable attendees at this year’s National Night Out included 104th Precinct Commanding Officer Captain Karam Chowdhury, State Senator Joseph Addabbo Jr., Assemblymembers Jenifer Rajkumar and Steven Raga, New York City Council District 30 Democratic nominee Phil Wong and former District 30 City Council candidate Paul Pogozelski.
“It’s a great day for the community. Everybody’s together. That’s what we want,” Chowdhury said. “We have different booths from different businesses. They’re here supporting this cause. We truly appreciate all the organizers.”
“Our police do great work,” Addabbo said. “National Night Out brings us all together for a great cause. Great things happen when we partner with our first responders. The community gets a lot safer.”
During the event, 104th Precinct Community Council President Jon Kablack was presented with a Citation of Honor by the Queens Borough President’s Office for his service to the community. Additionally, a Proclamation from the Mayor’s Office was shown off, declaring Aug. 5, 2025, National Night Out Against Crime Day.
“This is an important event for everyone to recognize that safety is the number one issue,” Wong said. “People live in a community because it’s safe, and to get safety, we all have to be vigilant to safeguard the community. When you see something, say something, and then call for help. Call 911. The police is here to save us, to keep us safe, and it’s important to support them. It’s important that we have a police force that cares about the community, rather than having a police force that just wants to retire and leave.”
“[National Night Out] is a great day for the community to get out and meet their law enforcement agents,” Pogozelski said. “The National Night Out is great because all our elected officials are coming out, so it’s a good way for the community to connect with their elected officials, our law enforcement agents, our auxiliary members and our Volunteer Ambulance people. A lot of local businesses out here are also pushing their services. It’s great for the community to connect on multiple levels.”
National Night Out Against Crime is held annually by each precinct in the city on the first Tuesday of August. In addition to being meant to humanize the police by allowing residents to see them as more than just law enforcement, this event is also meant to represent a unified stance against crime and criminals.
