U.S. Attorney’s Office promotes effort to fight violent crime at National Night Out events in Shreveport and Acadiana

SHREVEPORT/LAFAYETTE, La. – U.S. Attorney’s Office staff members and local law enforcement and community leaders met in neighborhoods throughout Caddo, Bossier and Lafayette parishes Tuesday as part of their annual National Night Out crime and drug prevention events.  The U.S. Attorney’s participation highlights the teamwork approach of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been historically successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.  This year’s National Night Out marked the one year anniversary of PSN’s reinvigoration. 

United States Attorney David C. Joseph, Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Cytheria D. Jernigan, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Cassidy and Leon Whitten, and legal assistants Mona Hardwick, Katina Freeman and Tanya’ Porter joined U.S. Marshal Henry Whitehorn, Shreveport Mayor Ollie Tyler, Shreveport Police Chief Alan Crump, Caddo Parish Sheriff Steve Prator, the Shreveport Fire Department and other agency representatives for events in Caddo and Bossier Parishes. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Van Hook, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jamilla A. Bynog, Robert Abendroth, Desiree Williams and Dan McCoy joined the Lafayette Police Department, Lafayette Sheriff’s Department and other agencies for National Night Out events in Lafayette.

Residents unlocked their doors, turned on porch lights and spent the evening outside with family, friends, neighbors, emergency response personnel and city officials. Many neighborhoods throughout Caddo and Bossier parishes hosted a variety of special events such as block parties, cookouts, parades, flashlight walks, contests, youth activities and anti-crime rallies. In Lafayette, residents met at the Martin Luther King Center on Willow Street. The events included music, food, games, fun jumps and displays by the Lafayette Sheriff’s Office, the Lafayette Police Department SWAT Team, Horse Patrol, Motorcycle Unit and the Police Command Bus.

National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live. National Night Out enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community. Furthermore, it provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances.

Thousands of communities across the United States took part in the 35^th Annual National Night Out starting in August. To find out more about National Night Out, visit the National Association for Town Watch at natw.org.