Rain couldn't stop Long Beach's National Night Out

The City of Long Beach Police Department marked its annual National Night Out celebration Tuesday evening, but this one was a tad different.

With a gloomy forecast promising rain and potential flooding, the festivities were moved inside to the Martin Luther King Jr. Center, with the usual hopes of bridging relations between community members and the police. There was music, hot dogs, popcorn, and good vibes all around.

National Night Out is more than a local Long Beach event. It’s a nationwide effort aimed at strengthening the relationship between local Police Departments and the communities they protect.

“Too often, people need police in bad circumstances and during emergencies when they need help,” Acting Police Commissioner Richard DePalma said. “So, it’s nice having an event where police can interact with the community, especially the younger part of the community, children, in a positive light”

Since its beginning in 1984, National Night Out has been celebrated nationwide and is currently held in over 17,000 communities across the entire country.