Highland Park Night Out, which took place in Highland Park Village Tuesday evening was put on by HP Crime Watch in association with Highland Park Police Department to improve the relationships among the Highland Park community and to educate families of how their neighborhood is being protected. (Kirby Wiley/The Daily Campus )

As the sun sets on Tuesday afternoon, neighbors amble around Highland Park Village.

A new fire truck and an ambulance stand out from the usual Mercedes, Lexuses and Porsches parked by the valet. There hasn’t been an emergency, it’s Highland Park Night Out.

The Highland Park Night Out is part of the National Night Out event.

This event is to raise awareness about crime, generate support for local anticrime programs and strengthen community and police ties.

In the two years that Nevil has been in charged it has grown from attracting 100 people to 500 people, and they were expecting about 800 people this year.

“It has grown through word of mouth,” Marty Nevil, an event organizer, detective with the Highland Park Police Department and SMU graduate, said. “People want to know what their money is going to.”

The event was hosted by Highland Park Crime Watch, an organization that was started by the Highland Park Police Department to increase neighborhood knowledge of crimes.

“My boss come up with an idea to instant message residents and it turned into a newsletter, Blue Zone News,” Nevil said.

In Highland Park’s case, the event also included other departments like the fire department, the library, utilities and many others.

The different groups like the 911-call center were giving out tips for families and local college students.

“The best thing is to know where you are when you’re calling,” 911 dispatcher Tony Collins said. “I know with college you don’t really know the area, but if you can recognize a street I can get you help.”

The different stations had things like water pipes from the utilities and a raccoon from animal control.

At another station families were able to finger print their children and fill out personal information cards for times of emergencies.

“Often times it’s difficult for a parent to think of everything and think straight. This is a way to have it,” 911 dispatcher Mary Zihlman said. “It’s not necessarily for missing children but it also includes medical information. Then you have your child’s medical information for paramedics readily available.”

With face painting and cotton candy, Highland Park Night Out appealed to kids as well as adults.

One of the big favorites was the jail, a small cell that kids and adults can get in and be “locked up.”

“They love doing all the activities like the jail and talking to the policemen,” resident and mom Crystal Iversen said.”It’s really nice for them to do this and Highland Park Village to participate.”

The Night Out event also had prizes from the different stores in Highland Park Village like Fredric Fekkai and food from Patrizio’s.

These goodies appealed to parents and older kids alike.

“I think it’s been fun,” volunteer and “jailer” Karin Torgerson said. “It’s good to see everyone out and about.”

The participating departments also enjoyed the laid back atmosphere of Highland Park Night Out.

“It’s a good community,” Collins said. “It’s an informal atmosphere and we get to talk and get feelings from the community whether good or bad.”