STATEHOUSE (August 6, 2012) — State Sen. Tom Wyss (R-Fort Wayne) encourages members of the Fort Wayne community to turn on their porch lights for the 29^th annual “National Night Out Against Crime” (NNO) on Tuesday, August 7.

Millions of Americans will turn on their lights Tuesday evening as a symbol of promoting anti-crime and drug awareness in their communities. Some will also celebrate the evening with block parties, cookouts, parades and youth programs.

Many local neighborhoods are participating in NNO, and the Fort Wayne Police Department will be hosting a celebration at Packard Park, located at Fairfield Avenue and Packard Avenue, from 5 to 7 p.m. To learn more about this event, visit http://www.fwpd.org/

“As the summer comes to a close, National Night Out is a great way to spend time with your neighbors and encourage safety in your community,” Wyss said. “It is my hope this will promote crime prevention efforts in families’ everyday lives.”

Created in 1984 to enhance community awareness and strengthen local crime prevention efforts, the annual event started with 400 communities in 23 states and 2.5 million Americans participating. The event has grown over the last three decades to include more than 37 million people from more than 15,000 communities.

For more information about NNO, visit nationaltownwatch.org/nno/. To see if a community in your area is participating, go to nationaltownwatch.org/nno/locator.html.