Town Watch Night Out is tonight at Gorgas Park

The Roxborough community is sending a message to criminals tonight and the message is this: The neighborhood is organizing and fighting back.

The 5th District Police Department is hosting a Town Watch Night Out event tonight at Gorgas Park from 7 to 9 p.m.

It coincides with the 28th National Night Out which is happening at different locations throughout the country. A similar Philadelphia event will be held at Macy’s on Market Street in Center City tonight from 5 to 7 p.m.

Tonight at Gorgas Park, people from all over the city, in different neighborhoods, will come out to organize against crime. There are several town watch groups that are meeting there to talk, namely the Monastery Group, Ripka Street Watch, Roxborough Township Watch, and Valley Ave. Watch. 

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Captain Cerrone will stop by and talk to the crowd while a movie will be played to entertain the kids.

“This event is important to the community because it shows that people care about their neighborhood,” said Officer Charlie Kline, spokesman for the 5th Police District.

Volunteers will be on hand to help with the precautionary children’s identification station.

With a parent present, the volunteers will be asking the children questions and filming their responses. Then the video tape will be handed back to the parents who can keep it on file and give it to the police should their child ever be kidnapped. This is a new way around the common fingerprint method, which Kline says isn’t as effective as it could be.

In a lot of other communities, especially those in New Jersey, the Town Watch Night Outs have been canceled due to heavy budget cuts.

Thankfully, due to the efforts of the Roxborough residents, business leaders and community activists, this event is still going strong.

Shop Rite is donating the water, soda and snacks. The Friends of Gorgas Park is providing the venue and the Roxborough Ridge Runners Car Club will show up with some cars to showcase. 

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