FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 23, 2010
Contact: Anika Mitchell Perkins
(662) 329-7124
aperkins@pa.muw.edu
MUW to participate in National Night Out event
COLUMBUS, Miss. – On Tuesday, Aug. 3, Mississippi University for Women will join the Columbus Police Department and thousands of communities nationwide to recognize the 27th Annual National Night Out crime and drug prevention event.
National Night Out will involve more than 14,625 communities from all 50 states, U.S. territories, Canadian cities and military bases around the world.
MUW is the only college in Mississippi registered as a National Night Out participant, according to Juvante Burks Sr., crime prevention/community relations coordinator with the MUW Police Department. Other Columbus sites celebrating the event include East Columbus Gym, Charles Brown Gym, Sims Scott Park, Sandfield Community Center and the Columbus Housing Authority’s
Avenue A & B.
“We decided to participate because we knew it would be good for the campus and surrounding community,” Burks said. “Our services are not just limited to the inside of the gate.”
Rhonda Sanders, community relations officer with the Columbus Police Department, added, “We are delighted to have MUW as a participant. This will result in broader participation, and it’s important that students be educated about campus safety.”
From 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., residents in neighborhoods across the nation will lock their doors, turn on outside lights and spend the evening outside with their neighbors and police. Many will host a variety of special events.
Activities planned at MUW include safety and crime prevention tips, inflatables, games, a Zumba demonstration, food and more.
Matt Peskin, national project coordinator, said, “This is a night for America to stand together to promote awareness, safety and neighborhood unity. National Night Out showcases the vital importance of police-community partnerships and citizen involvement in our fight to build a safer nation.”
For more information, contact the MUW Police Department at (662) 241-7777.
