Police, community to come together for National Night Out event

Police and residents are coming together for National Night Out from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Orr Weathers Housing complex’s basketball court located at 1400 Missouri Ave.

Illinois State Police will be playing a pick up game of basketball against residents starting at 5:45 p.m. Tuesday.

The game is called “The Request.” And the winner of the basketball game “gets to request a specific action,” according to Stephanie Bush, founder and president of Community Development Sustainable Solutions.

“For example if the police want to lower crime in that area, they can request that the citizens not do any crime that can cause them to have to come out. Citizens could request book bags and other school supplies,” Bush said.

Bush said the intent of national night out is to “civilly engage our citizens. We must reduce crime in order to increase community and economic development,” she said

Free food will be provided by Mixon Insurance Agency, and Pyrtle’s Ice Cream is supplying the ice cream.

There will be various speakers including Bush and Terrance Taylor of Community Development Sustainable Solutions, Mayor Emeka Jackson-Hicks, Police Chief Michael Hubbard, Councilman Latoya Greenwood, former Illinois State Trooper Calvin Dye Sr., who is now an investigator with St. Clair County State’s Attorney Brendan Kelly’s office, and his son Illinois State Police Trooper Calvin “Buddy” Dye, Jr. and the Rev. Norma Patterson.

An Illinois State Police helicopter is scheduled to be at the event at 5:20 p.m. Tuesday.

This story was originally published August 2, 2016 at 10:30 AM with the headline "Police, community to come together for National Night Out event."