ROANOKE – National Night Out is Tuesday, August 6. The annual event happens across the country. It's a community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships.
Police chiefs across the Roanoke Valley are joining together for a new campaign called "Locked on Gun Safety."
It is all about locking up your guns so kids don't have access and criminals can't steal them from your cars.
Some police departments are pointing to the number of teens getting caught with guns.
In Roanoke over the last two years, there have been nearly 60 cases of children younger than 18 having a gun. Nine of those were aggravated assaults and eight robberies.
Multiple local children have been hurt by guns going off, including a 3-year-old.
Many police departments are also giving away free gun locks.
"The responsibility is serious. Storing, making safe, securing their weapons in their vehicles all of these things are important to making our community safer, safer for adults, safer for children," said Roanoke Police Chief Tim Jones.
"This is about prevention. If we can prevent a tragedy from occurring, an accident from occurring, and keep somebody from being injured or killed then that's positive. If we can keep guns from getting into the wrong hands, i.e. criminals, then that's a positive," said Roanoke County Police Chief Howard Hall.
Here are a few of the big National Night Out events. Check with your area to see where they are hosting parties.
- Lynchburg: head to Riverfront Park from 5:30 to 8 p.m. There will be giveaways, games for the kids, vehicle demonstrations, and a dunk tank.
- Roanoke: there are various events going on all over the city. You can go to events at Huff Lane Park, Loudon Park and more.
- Roanoke County:
• Montclair Estates Neighborhood Watch Group will be held at Green Ridge Baptist Church (5521 Green Ridge Rd.) from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
• Sun Valley Neighborhood Watch Group will be held at Summerdean Church of the Brethren (6604 Plantation Rd.) from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
• Riverdale Farms & Mt. Pleasant Neighborhood Watch Group will be held at Explore Park (56 Roanoke River Pkwy.) from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
This is part of an ongoing 10 News series about kids and guns. There will be multiple stories in August about how to keep your family safe. As many police departments have told us during interviews for this series, it is not about being pro-gun or anti-gun, it is about locking up guns so kids and/or criminals don't have access to guns.