APD Chief Turner to visit Midtown National Night Out events

On Tuesday, Aug. 7, Atlantic Station and the Midtown Neighbors’ Association are planning separate events in conjunction with the 29th Annual National Night Out, a crime and drug prevention program sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch.

Communities across the country will participate to heighten crime awareness and create partnerships with local anti-crime programs. In recent years, NNO has grown to join more than 37 million people together in more than 13,000 neighborhoods across the country.

This year’s City of Atlanta theme for National Night Out is "The More We Get Together, The Safer We’ll Be," as it promotes keeping communities safe, block by block. Atlanta Police Chief George Turner is set to make visits to both Midtown NNO parties to meet members of the community. He is tentatively scheduled to be at 1380 Atlantic Drive in Atlantic Station at 5:45 p.m., followed by a visit to Myrtle and 5th streets (near 780 Myrtle) at 7 p.m.

The Midtown Neighbors’ Association will be holding its event on Myrtle Street between 5th and 6th streets from 6:30-8:30 p.m., followed by a Shining Light Safety Walk. Make plans to bring your family and neighbors for some good, safe fun including:  

• Festivities for the kids will such as a jump tent, sidewalk chalk and craft kits.
• See the inside of an APD patrol car and AFRD Fire Truck.
• Step up for your chance to dunk some of your favorite neighborhood and City of Atlanta notables.
• You may buy some awesome South American cuisine from Yoli's Food Truck which will be on site.
• Beverages will be provided courtesy of Midtown neighbor, Greg Moran, and his company, Activate Drinks.
• Piedmont Park Conservancy is providing tents, tables and chairs and will be there to share upcoming events at PPC.
• Mike and the Mini Machine Guns will be on hand to provide music - an acoustic blend of Indie and Folk. Volunteers from Target at Edgewood will be joining us and bringing Frisbees for the kids, both big and small. Warm up your Frisbee throwing arm and come out ready to show your best

Then at 8:30 p.m., grab your flashlights, your friends, and your dogs, and participate in another Midtown’s Shining Light Safety Walk. Help “take back the streets” with members of the Midtown Ponce Security Alliance, Atlanta Fire & Rescue, Midtown Blue, and the Atlanta Police Department.

The Atlantic Station National Night Out event will be from 6 to 8 p.m. and is aimed at fostering a relationship between local safety officers and the Midtown community.

The community is invited to Atlantic Station’s Central Park to meet the APD and its K-9 unit, the AFD, the Georgia Emergency Management Agency and the Fulton County Sheriff’s Department. The agencies will have special emergency vehicles on display including patrol cars, a fire truck and a special operations unit. Parents can also get a free ID kit from Equifax to help protect their children in case of a future emergency.

Target, a sponsor for the event, and Atlantic Station’s own Public Safety officers will be cooking and serving up free hotdogs for all attendees, as Atlanta musician Carter Rude plays live throughout the evening. National Night Out aims to be informative, but also fun, and will include games and activities for kids.