Hundreds of residents flocked to Astoria Park and Lou Lodati Park to celebrate the National Night Out Against Crime with officers from the 108th and 114th Precincts Tuesday night.
National Night Out, an annual community-building event that promotes police-community partnerships and community camaraderie on the first Tuesday in August, took place in precincts across the city on a balmy evening on Aug. 5.
Officers from the 108th Precinct joined local community residents at Sunnyside’s Lou Lodati Park from 5 to 8 p.m., with free food, photo opportunities, music and dancing on offer for local residents.
Capt. Hameed Armani, who assumed command of the 108th Precinct earlier this year, said events such as National Night Out are crucial in order to build relationships between police and the local community.
“If there’s no partnership between community and police, we can’t do our job,” Armani said Tuesday evening. “Look around, you see all different kinds of ages, different backgrounds and we all get together here to promote safety, security, quality of life and working together.”
Armani added that the event helps to build trust between cops and local residents.
“You can see my cops are engaging with the community. Each one talking to community members, so it definitely helps build a relationship between us and the community. So if they need something, it’s easier to reach out to us.”
Dirk McCall de Palomá, executive director of the Sunnyside Shines Business Improvement District (BID), said National Night Out events help the 108th Precinct connect with the Sunnyside community while also promoting safety and in the neighborhood.
“This event helps connect the 108th Precinct with the global community here in Sunnyside,” McCall de Palomá said Tuesday. “And the 108th Precinct is very, very community-minded. We are thrilled to death with their new commanding officer, Captain Harmeet Armani. They’re doing a wonderful job.”
Tuesday’s event also connected Sunnyside and Long Island City residents with a number of organizations and non-profits, including the New York Power Authority and Sunnyside Community Services (SCS).
“Organizations are getting connected to communities that probably never heard about them,” Armani said. “It (National Night Out) has a very positive impact on all of us.”
The 108th Precinct celebration finished with a community raffle, with prizes such as AirPods and speakers up for grabs.
Over in Astoria, hundreds of locals flocked to Astoria Park off Hoyt Avenue South in the shadow of the Triborough Bridge, with free food, music and entertainment for guests.
Families perched on lawn chairs in the large space, while officers from the 114th Precinct grilled free hot dogs and provided free entertainment through “Paquito the Clown.”
Children also played with free beach balls in the open space, while several community organizations interacted with guests, including the FDNY’s Fire Safety Education Unit, NYC Parks and Sharing and Caring Cancer Support.
Dozens of other tables lined the space, with representatives from the US Army, Vision Zero and the newly-opened Target on 31st Street interacting with local community members.
