STATEHOUSE (Aug. 6, 2012) – State Sen. Dennis Kruse (R-Auburn) encourages members of the New Haven 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 City of New Haven and local police will be hosting a celebration at Schnelker Park, 956 Park Ave., from 6 to 8 p.m. To learn more about this event, visit http://www.newhavenin.org/

“It is good to see our neighborhoods taking a stand against crime,” Kruse said. “Community members play an integral role in monitoring, preventing and reporting suspicious activity and keeping our cities safe. It is my hope this will encourage families to continue to promote this event for many years to come.”

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.