Variety of events mark an anti-crime evening

Groups will gather for the 18th "National Night Out,'' which will include everything from doughnuts to a street parade to porch chats.

By DEBORAH O'NEIL

© St. Petersburg Times,
published August 7, 2001

Glow sticks, a television show with cops making doughnuts and street parades will all mark "National Night Out" today as residents around Pinellas County take a stand against crime.

National Night Out, in its 18th year, calls for neighbors to gather on the first Tuesday in August to show that crime will not be tolerated in their communities. Four events are planned this year in neighborhoods patrolled by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office, including a neighborhood walk, a drive-through and porch gatherings.

"It's to send a message to criminals to have them know neighborhoods are organized and are looking or watching and will report stuff," said Sgt. Bob Helmick of the sheriff's crime prevention section. "It's something communities do for themselves."

The Clearwater Police Department will air a special crime prevention quiz show themed after TBS's Dinner and a Movie at 7 p.m. on the city's cable television station, Channel 15. Donuts and a Video will feature officers Gregory Stewart and Lisa Hebert cooking doughnuts in between video clips about crime prevention.

The show will pose questions for the audience regarding crime prevention and traffic safety.

"It will be fun," said Clearwater Police spokesman Wayne Shelor. "It has some serious underpinnings, crime awareness and crime prevention, but it's presented on the platform of the stereotype of cops and doughnuts."

Shelor added: "Neither one of them are very good cooks. I wouldn't eat their doughnuts."

The Police Department mailed about 120 packets of crime prevention information and official answer forms for the show to Clearwater neighborhood watch groups, homeowners associations and city employee groups. The groups are being encouraged to watch the show together and fill out the quiz-show questions for prizes.

"We're probably going to throw a breakfast for the winning groups," said Stewart, one of the show's hosts. "Guess what it's going to be."

Here are the other National Night Out gatherings planned:

6-8 p.m. -- Shady Lane Mobile Home Park residents on Roosevelt Boulevard will have a neighborhood walk with glow sticks.

7 p.m. -- Wyatt Street Project residents from the Wyatt and South Greenwood neighborhoods will hold their first Neighborhood Watch group meeting at First Assembly of God, 1739 S Greenwood St.

8 p.m. -- The Pride Civic and Belle Keene Neighborhood Watch groups from neighborhoods around Keene, Nursery and Belleair roads will hold a driving street parade through their neighborhoods led by Deputy Jeff Strong, who will have his lights flashing.

8:30-9:30 p.m. -- Ridgecrest and Baskins neighbors near Largo are planning to turn on their outside lights and have porch chats.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright