National Night Out to be held in Turbeville

Posted
Clarendon County Deputy Annett Smith said National Night Out has been held in Summerton and Manning. "But we've never done it in Turbeville," she noted. That changes tonight, as the initiative devoted to safer, crime-free communities gets underway in the eastern part of Clarendon County. National Night Out will be held from 6-8:30 p.m. today in the East Clarendon Middle-High School gymnasium. The introduction of National Night Out, “America’s Night Out Against Crime," in 1984 began as an effort to promote involvement in crime prevention activities, police-community partnerships, neighborhood camaraderie and send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back. NATW’s National Night Out program culminates annually, on the first Tuesday of August (In Texas, the first Tuesday of October). The first National Night Out took place on Tuesday, Aug. 7, 1984. That first year, 2.5 million Americans took part across 400 communities in 23 states. Locally, law enforcement from the Sheriff's Office, the S.C. Highway Patrol and the Manning, Turbeville and Summerton police departments will be on-hand tonight to hand out school supplies and other free items to students who attend. There will also be free food, drinks and prizes. Smith has also partnered this year with the Harvest Hope Food Bank to provide non-perishable food items for the first 125 needy families who attend tonight's event.