Attorney General Garland Joins Acting U.S. Attorney Phillips at National Night Out Celebrations
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia on Tuesday joined community and law enforcement partners in celebrating National Night Out, with Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and Acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips participating in an event at the Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy in Southeast Washington.
More than 200 people turned out for the celebration of community collaboration, held at the baseball academy, located in the Sixth Police District. Thousands more gathered across the city and nation, with senior Justice Department officials and U.S. Attorneys taking part in a Department-wide effort to bring attention to events that build stronger community-police relations. The activities in the District of Columbia were led by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), which sponsored events in all seven police districts.
“Law enforcement is most effective when it has the trust and support of the communities it serves,” said Attorney General Garland. “That is why events like National Night Out are so important and effective; they help to bridge the gap between neighbors and their police departments in a positive and informal setting.”
“National Night Out is an opportunity for us to show our appreciation to the many people in neighborhoods throughout the District of Columbia for the assistance they provide in promoting public safety,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Phillips. “We depend upon their cooperation and vigilance and have a long history of working together to benefit the community.”
National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, better places to live. In most areas of the country, the program culminates annually on the first Tuesday of August. National Night Out organizers expect to hold more than 16,000 community events around the country this year.
Established in 1984 from a Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) grant, the goal of National Night Out is to build relationships with and between communities and law enforcement. National Night Out enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community.
The Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy, at 3675 Ely Place SE, is a nine-acre education and recreation campus in the Fort Dupont Park area. It is a centerpiece of Nationals Philanthropies, the official charitable arm of the Washington Nationals. Events there ran from afternoon into early evening and included a moon bounce, kickball, baseball tutorial sessions, food, entertainment, and information from government and community partners.
Wendy Pohlhaus, Director of the Community Engagement Section for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined District of Columbia officials, MPD, and federal law enforcement partners at one of the many other National Night Out events, a kickoff event at the Kennedy Recreation Center, 1401 Seventh St. NW, in the Third Police District.
She leads a team of prosecutors and community engagement specialists, including Community Engagement Specialist Baretta Francis, who participated along with Attorney General Garland and Acting U.S. Attorney Phillips at the baseball academy event. The Community Engagement Section sponsors events year-round, including a recent youth summit that focused on the prevention of gun violence and the dangers of opioids.