So, Tuesday was the 25th annual National Night Out Against Crime, where communities nationwide band together to combat crime. The assertion is that the in order to fight crime in the streets, you need to know your neighbors. You must know who, what, when, where, why, and how things are occurring in your community. Youth must interact in a positive forum with law enforcement officers, and the community at large must make efforts to provide meaningful exchange with law enforcement and lawmakers. The Paterson community was no exception.
I was fortunate enough to be able to commune with members of my church family and the community around the church. Operation CeaseFire worked collaboratively with New Christian Missionary Baptist Church, 16 Bridge St., Paterson, NJ, in order to provide a safe venue for children and adults to come outside of their homes and have an enjoyable evening. The block was restricted to traffic, the children played double-dutch and basketball, and hot dogs, burgers, and soda were free for all.
A trolley of politicians and police officers were shuttled in to make nice with the locals and take pictures before moving on to the next location in the city. Many of which seemed genuinely pleased to partake in the games and laughs. Rev. James Salmon Sr. was pleased with the turnout and felt that the night was an overall success.
Perhaps, if the city spent more time reaching out to the community, its members would not be so apprehensive and fearful to speak up and out against the violence and crime which runs rampant in this city, and others like it around the country...
Some additional photos below...
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