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Foster Safer Communities at “National Night Out”

Enjoy free food and receive safety tips during the annual crime prevention event on Aug. 4

Karen Goddard and Traci Scoggins, alumni of the Duke Citizens' Police Academy, provide a safety questionnaire to students during last year's National Night Out on Duke campus. Photo courtesy of Duke Police
Karen Goddard and Traci Scoggins, alumni of the Duke Citizens' Police Academy, provide a safety questionnaire to students during last year's National Night Out on Duke campus. Photo courtesy of Duke Police

Learn about Duke's patrol units, deploy a fire extinguisher, and savor a spread of snacks and grilled hot dogs Aug. 4 with officers from the Duke University Police Department.As part of “National Night Out,” a national community-building campaign that encourages police-neighborhood partnerships and events, Duke Police invites Duke community members and their families to a community event at Mill Village on Central Campus from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.“We’re connecting with the community that we serve,” said John Dailey, Duke Chief of Police. “We hope that they’ll get to know us as individuals and celebrate the successes that we as the Duke community have had in safety and security.”Duke Police officers will grill hot dogs, but individuals with special diets are invited to bring their own food options for the grill. The event will provide desserts, chips and dip and fruit. Equipment from some of Duke Police’s patrol units will be on display, including bicycles, the solar- and pedal-powered electric ELF vehicle and a one-person scooter. Durham Fire and Rescue will be on-site with a ladder truck, and visitors will be encouraged to look inside the vehicle. Interactive safety exercises will give participants the chance to extinguish a fake fire as well as wear “beer goggles” while steering a golf cart, simulating the effects of drinking and driving. “National Night Out” at Duke will also include:•    A dance floor and live DJ•    The chance to meet alumni of the Duke Citizens’ Police Academy, an 8-week course that teaches Duke community members how the Duke Police Department operates•    Information from Duke Recreation and Physical Education’s aquatics division about pool and water safety“We’re part of the community,” said Duke Police community service officer Daryl Mount. “We can have an open dialogue with Duke staff, faculty and students. It makes you feel like you’re part of something bigger than just your job.”Participants are invited to bring lawn chairs to the event. Parking will be available and free after 5 p.m. in the H Lot along Anderson Street, across from Mill Village. Parking will also be available, but limited, on Central Campus.In case of rain, the event will be moved to the Devil’s Den near Central Campus.