GULFPORT — The Gulfport Police Department will host its 42nd National Night Out on Aug. 4 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Barksdale Pavilion in Jones Park, giving residents an opportunity to meet officers and learn about public safety through family-friendly activities. 

National Night Out, established in 1984, is a nationwide community policing campaign that encourages law enforcement agencies and residents to build relationships and promote crime prevention through community engagement. 

“Most of the time we meet people on their most traumatic days,” Gulfport Police Department Public Information Officer Lt. Jason DuCre said. “This is when we get to meet people on an even playing field. We want the community to get to know our officers before they need us.” 

The event will feature a Touch-a-Truck activity, giving children and adults an opportunity to explore emergency vehicles and meet the officers who operate them. Officers from divisions including patrol, narcotics and investigations will also be available to answer questions and interact with residents. 

“We want the community to also know that we are volunteers; we raise families right here in our communities; we work here, we live here. So, it’s our community as well,” DuCre said. “We want our officers to get to know our community at an event like this rather than on a call.”