Suffolk always pulls out the stops for National Night Out, and this year’s celebration of the community’s efforts to “take a bite out of crime” was no exception.

More than 60 communities and businesses participated in the citywide event. Depending on which of the simultaneous community parties one attended, one could enjoy games, bounce houses and other kids’ activities, cookouts, musical entertainment, McGruff the Crime Dog and lots of other fun activities.

Suffolk regularly earns awards for its participation in the national event, having placed in the top five among communities its size for the past nine years and having earned the top spot three times during that period.

On Thursday, the city took a moment to bestow its own set of awards for the communities, businesses and individuals who went above and beyond in order to make this year’s event another smashing success.

The first-place Best Combined Community Award went to the Sentara Obici Hospital Combined Community Event, which included participants from 16 different communities surrounding the hospital, along with their various sponsoring businesses and other volunteers. The Greater Oakland and Chuckatuck Civic League took second place in that category.

For Best Community, the West End Civic League won first place and the Burbage Grant Neighborhood Watch won second place. Honorable mention went to the Huntersville community.

The Top Business went to the U.S. Army Recruiting Office, and the Suffolk Church of God won Rookie of the Year.

And in a new category this year, Cusi Hamlin, a community coordinator volunteer for the Sentara Obici Hospital Combined Community Event, won the first “Spirit Award.”

Both congratulations and thanks are due these organizations and individuals for all the hard work they put into National Night Out. It’s a great program, designed to bring neighborhoods and law enforcement together in the fight against crime, and it would not be nearly as successful without all their efforts.