Members of the Jefferson City Police Department plan to be out in neighborhoods Sept. 14 to talk about crime prevention as part of the 34th annual National Night Out.
Every year, residents and police gather to celebrate neighborhood unity and to strengthen watch groups.
National Night Out involves more than 8,000 communities and more than 28 million people.
"There's around a dozen active groups right now in the city, but we're looking at three to five more getting started," said Josh Hagemeyer, JCPD neighborhood watch/community watch officer.
At these events, neighbors usually meet with two officers, who talk with residents about crime trends and give out statistics for the neighborhoods and ideas for how to prevent crime.
"We hope to try and spend more time at these events so we get to really know the residents, not just give a presentation and leave," Hagemeyer said.
Hagemeyer said JCPD primarily focuses on property crimes such as thefts and burglaries.
"For several months, one of the big problems we've had is people leaving their cars unlocked," he said. "Many times residents will do this for a long time, and then along come a couple of people who just help themselves to whatever is inside."
Hagemeyer said the watch groups are part of the police department's community policing efforts - getting out of patrol cars and connecting with people on a personal level to understand their needs.
To find out if your neighborhood is hosting a National Night Out event or more information about forming a watch group, contact Hagemeyer at [email protected] or 573-634-6398.