Tuesday, Aug. 1 will mark the annual National Night Out, a decades-long tradition in many American cities encouraging neighbors to come together, and giving many residents an opportunity to interact with public safety personnel

Across Grays Harbor from East County to the coast, fire and police will be making visits to neighborhoods or taking part in larger events, varying from city to city.

“We’ve been participating for several decades,” said Aberdeen Police Chief Dale Green. “It’s a chance for us to get out and say hi to our neighbors, people can get out and say hi to their neighbors.”

It’s as much as chance for folks to meet with public safety personnel as it is for residents to meet neighbors they may not have encountered before, Green said.

“We really try to be involved in the community,” Green said. “We all live in Grays Harbor, most of us are from here.”

Dozens of personnel from the Aberdeen police and fire departments will be circulating through block parties, the organizers of which reached out to the departments ahead of time to get on the list. In other towns like Elma or McCleary, the locale has opted to consolidate and hold one big event for people to visit.

“This is probably the big one, but we show up to every major Aberdeen event,” Green said. “It’s usually big enough that we have to spread out.”

In addition to dozens of officers, volunteers and police explorers taking part, Green said he tries to hit every event. The locations may change a little from year to year, or they may remain in the same place for decades, Green said.

“I try to hit everyone,” Green said. “The locations change a little bit. Some drop off, and then new ones come on board. It’s always nice to see new people.”

For more information on your town’s National Night Out events, check with your local police or fire departments.

Contact Senior Reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757-621-1197 or mlockett@thedailyworld.com.