The city of Suffolk’s 2013 National Night Out celebration was named the fourth-best National Night Out event in the nation among communities with a population of 50,000 to 99,000 residents (Category 3). This award marks the 8th straight year the city has placed in the top five in the nation for National Night Out.

Suffolk was the highest-ranking locality in Virginia and one of only three Virginia localities to place nationally (James City County ranked No. 33 in Category 3, and Smithfield placed No. 46 in Category 5).

On the first Tuesday night of every August, neighborhoods all across Suffolk’s 430 square miles join forces with thousands of communities for the Annual National Night Out crime, drug and gang awareness event. Sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch and co-sponsored locally by the Suffolk Police Department, this annual event involves more than 37 million people in 10,000 communities across 50 states, Canadian cities and military bases worldwide.

Suffolk neighborhoods hold cookouts, parades, activities and other events to help neighbors get out of the house and get to know each other.

National Night Out is designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness; generate support for, and participation in, local anti-crime efforts; strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships; and send a message to criminals letting them know neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.

National Night Out 2014 is scheduled for Aug. 5. For more information on Suffolk’s National Night Out events, visit www.suffolknno.org or www.facebook.com/SuffolkVaNNO.