2019 National Night Out Against Crime
By Deputy David Morris

The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, like many agencies, is very good at responding to and investigating crimes. We are excellent at gathering evidence, interviewing victims and witnesses, and putting together strong cases for prosecution. The problem, crimes have victims. We in law enforcement would rather help you, your family, neighbors, and other citizen’s PREVENT CRIMES so there are fewer crime victims.

The monthly articles you have seen over the last several years all have the theme of crime prevention. We in law enforcement want to help YOU prevent crimes from happening to you and in your neighborhood. All we can do is respond to crimes, but YOU can prevent them. One of the best ways to prevent crime is to reach out and connect to your neighbors. By working together with your neighbors, your community and with law enforcement we can foil the attempts of criminals to steal our items.

Every summer, across the United States, thousands of communities witness people coming together on National Night Out Against Crime. It’s the first Tuesday in August, which this year is August 6, 2019. I encourage you to plan a block party with your neighbors and do some crime prevention! The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office Crime Prevention Unit wants to help you!

First register your party with the SCOPE Neighborhood Watch Coordinator, Venus Delcambre-Morris. You can get the registration form in the Neighborhood Watch Newsletter here: https://www.spokanecounty.org/DocumentCenter/View/26029/2019-Summer-Neighborhood-Watch-Newsletter. Please email your completed application to VDelcambreMorris@SpokaneSheriff.org.

When you register your party, you can request certain public officials stop by your party and talk to you and your neighbors. Possible guests include Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich, Spokane Valley Police Chief Mark Werner, sheriff’s deputies, Fire Department personnel, City Council Members, County Commissioners, Emergency Management personnel, McGruff the Crime Dog and others. Once your registration form is sent in, your get-together will be included on a list of parties to attend by the invited guest. Though we can’t guarantee any particular public official will attend, every effort will be made for your invited guest to attend.

The newsletter linked above not only gives you the registration form, but it also gives you many suggestions on how to personalize your National Night Out party, residential NNO party regulations and locations of community National Night Out parties in various locations in and around Spokane County including in Spokane Valley, Elk, Colbert, Airway Heights, and Spokane South Hill for August 6th.

If you are not able to hold your own event or attend any of the parties on Tuesday, August 6th, SCOPE’s Neighborhood Watch is hosting a HUGE National Night Out party at Spokane Valley Mall on Saturday August 10th, from 4pm to 7pm. There will be raffles, free games, free mall rides and free food, plus with a donation of non-perishable food items you can be entered to win a FOUR-PACK of SILVERWOOD TICKETS! There is no limit to the number of cans that you can donate! With every can donated, you will receive a ticket for the drawing! The Sheriff’s K-9 Unit is scheduled for a demonstration at 5:30pm along with one of the Sheriff’s helicopters landing on site!

Here is a message from Venus Delcambre-Morris, the SCOPE and Sheriff’s Office Neighborhood Watch Coordinator: “The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, Spokane Valley Police Department, and SCOPE invite you to National Night Out! You’re invited to turn on your porch lights, lock your doors and spend the evening with neighbors and public safety officials to join forces with thousands of other communities nationwide for the 36th Annual National Night Out Against Crime on Tuesday, August 6, 2019. Bring your neighbors in to collaborate ideas for fun activities for children and adults. You can have live bands, bake off parties, BBQ’s, Ice Cream Socials, bounce houses or whatever else you can think of to keep your party fun and lively. Remember, this is a great time to get educated about crime prevention and to think about starting a Neighborhood Watch! There will be over 38 million neighborhoods participating this year, will you be one of them?”

Start planning today! I will be one of scores of deputies that will be stopping by as many National Night Out parties as I can. I hope I see YOU and your neighbors! As always, have a safe summer with your friends and family. Get out and enjoy all the wonderful things our region and community have to offer! Be mindful while you are out having fun, be watchful of your surroundings. If you see suspicious activity call 911 or Crime Check at 509-456-2233. In fact, just about any time you need help from law enforcement anywhere in Spokane, or Spokane County you should start by calling Crime Check at 509-456-2233. Feel free to reach out to me for more information at dwmorris@spokanesheriff.org. Thank you!

QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ARTICLE CAN BE DIRECTED TO DEPUTY David Morris OF THE CRIME PREVENTION UNIT OF THE SPOKANE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: DWMorris@SpokaneSheriff.org