Tomorrow Night is National Night Out so Let’s Help Take a Bite out of Crime

Every year, on a Tuesday morning in the first week in August, I move the radio show, Andy in the Morning, to Consumers Energy on Clay Avenue, SW. I broadcast for a few hours, along with Eva Aguirre Cooper from WOOD-TV, to promote National Night Out.

Well, guess what? Tomorrow is the day!

Actually, National Night Out, is a year-long community building campaign, designed to:
• Heighten crime prevention awareness;
• Generate support for, and participation in, local anti-crime programs;
• Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships; and
• Send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.

We'll be right next to the 131 expressway, between 36th and 44th streets. There will be two large Consumers Energy trucks that will have their buckets extended 75 feet above U.S. 131 to help draw attention to the event.

But, that's not all. Consumers Energy representatives, along with local organizers, governmental leaders and law enforcement officials from Grand Rapids, Grandville, Kentwood, Rockford, Walker, Wyoming and the Kent County Sheriff’s Department, will all be at the event outside the company’s Clay Avenue service center. There will be refreshments, too, including donuts and coffee donated by local businesses.

And, if that's not enough, Consumers Energy employees and law enforcement officials will be handing out free energy-efficient compact fluorescent (CFL) light bulbs. CFLs use up to 75 percent less energy than a normal incandescent bulb, can last up to nine years and are ideal for both indoor and outdoor use, including porch lights.

National Night Out also includes a number of neighborhood and community-level events to support anti-crime efforts. In the Grand Rapids area, events include the South Kent Night Out Against Crime, organized by the Kent County Sheriff’s Department, from 4-8 p.m. outside Peppino’s Restaurant, 1515 Eastport Drive SE. Consumers Energy is among the participants at this free event, which will also include a Consumers Energy bucket truck, fire and police vehicles, equipment and displays, games, food, prizes, music and dancing.

In Muskegon County, Consumers Energy is working with the Muskegon Police Department and other law enforcement agencies to promote National Night Out beginning at 7 a.m. Tuesday outside Hot Rod Harley Davidson, 149 Shoreline Drive. A limited supply of CFL lightbulbs will be available. A Consumers Energy bucket truck and local fire department aerial truck will be on display, as well.