"NATIONAL NIGHT OUT" AN OCCASION FOR LAW, CITIZENS TO MINGLE

On the first, hot night of every August, law enforcement officers go
from being the bearers of punishment to the party hosts promoting
crime-fighting.

They get juveniles in the bounce house rather than the big
house.

Do some face-painting instead of fingerprinting.

Teach some rock-climbing, not the hazards of smoking crack
rocks.

It's called National Night Out and it involves block parties and
parades and exhibits in 10,000 communities from all 50 states,
including several cities in Palm Beach County. Most events are tonight.

"We get to hang out with people in our communities," said Palm Beach
County sheriff's deputy Carol Verdigi, who coordinates the agency's
Night Out events. "Kids love this type of thing. Parents feel safe.
They become more aware of what we can do and how we can help. It's an
awareness type thing."

At a time when the rate of violent crimes has increased nationwide,
law enforcement agencies say this is an opportunity to make inroads
with community members who may become victims or perpetrators of
crime. The FBI reported that the nation's rate for murder, robbery and
aggravated assault increased 2.5 percent in 2005 - the first increase
in five years.

Verdigi says it helps for people to see deputies as people in a
friendly environment. They may be more likely to seek help from
deputies. And they gain more knowledge of the agency after seeing all
the bells and whistles - the helicopter, the Hulk and the horses.

"Most people that have contact with an officer have negative contact -
a speeding ticket or victim of crime," said West Palm Beach police
officer Kelly Carsillo. "We're more people-friendly. They can touch
our equipment, climb inside a police car."

West Palm Beach celebrated its Night Out as a day out, with an exhibit
and giveaways Sunday at the Palm Beach Mall. Carsillo said she gets a
better crowd with the indoor event on the last day of the tax-free
holiday.

National Night Out has historically been held in high-crime
neighborhoods as an evening where law-abiding residents replace drug
dealers on the corners.

In the town of Palm Beach, where crime is at a minimum, the event is
at the central location of a church.

"We call ours a celebration of crime prevention and community
involvement," said police spokeswoman Janet Kinsella. The Palm Beach
event includes exhibits of all the police equipment, such as boats and
cars and all-terrain vehicles, along with a balloon artist and face-
painter.

This is the town's 23rd year with a Night Out.

"It's just an awareness of how you can become involved in your
community and the importance of shared responsibility in achieving
crime prevention," Kinsella said.