National Night Out block parties Tuesday
People across the state are closing their streets to traffic Tuesday night for National Night Out block parties.
More than 15,000 communities across the country and many in Minnesota are taking part in the event.
Two of the top participants last year were St. Paul and Minneapolis. Both cities won top honors from the National Association of Town Watch for their efforts in 2012.
Karen Notsch, a civilian crime prevention specialist with the Minneapolis Police Department, said that meeting neighbors is the main purpose of National Night Out.
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"Minneapolis really takes it seriously. We really believe that National Night Out is an event that really focuses on crime prevention and encourages people to look out for their neighbors and get to know their neighbors," she said.
More than 1,400 block parties are scheduled in Minneapolis. Around 300 are planned in St. Paul, and there'll be about 50 tonight in Duluth.
The anti-crime event started in 1984, and has grown to include more than 15-thousand communities in all 50 states.
Jeff Nelson lives in the Congdon Park neighborhood in Duluth and has organized National Night Out block parties for several years. He says he's gotten to know many of his neighbors as a result.
"Sometimes in our busy lives it's hard to meet your neighbors or get to know your neighbors, and I find it's a good way to connect. We try to do one or two things a year if we can, just to connect the neighbors a bit and touch base and make sure everyone's doing OK," he said.