The Dover Police Department hosted several Delaware public safety agencies for this week’s “National Night Out” event.
Dover’s National Night Out event comes just a week after four shootings were reported in the city in the span of just three days.
National Night Out is a nationwide event held annually on the first Tuesday in August, aiming to build stronger relations between the public and law enforcement.
Dover Police Chief Thomas A. Johnson Jr. says that’s important at times like this when people are concerned about a spike in shootings
“Visibility starts at the very core of deterrents. The operational mission of policing is there to address the shooting incidents that you just described. Investigatively we’re on top of this recent spate- I think you’ll see on our website that we’ve made a considerable number of arrests.” he said.
Johnson also notes community events like National Night Out sometimes yield useful information in ongoing investigations.
Johnson says that the community's concern is justified, but says that there’s no reason to panic- upticks in violent crimes like these happen around this time every year, he adds.
He says these events are another opportunity to address those concerns.
“It gives us to chance- look, you’ve got the school district community is here, the business community is here, the citizens, the law enforcement and public safety community is here. It gives us all a chance to demonstrate who we are, what we are, and what our mission is. It gives an opportunity, from time to time, to talk about current events and maybe put them in context.” he said.
Johnson also notes that, typically, the victims of violent acts they’re seeing are often offenders themselves, and are the result of a dispute between other criminals.
NNO’s website shows the National Night Out event is put on by at least 10 Delaware communities every year.
Johnson says the Dover Police Department’s Enhanced Visibility Patrols are also continuing through the summer, concluding at the start of the school year.
