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National Night Out canceled
Lodians may still have block parties
It's been a 25-year tradition in Lodi: Hundreds, or more likely thousands, of people gather for National Night Out block parties. Neighbors mingle, swap stories, eat food and eagerly wait for police officers and firefighters to visit.
But budget cuts mean the Lodi Police Department is canceling this year's event, though residents may still hold their own parties.
That means children won't be climbing on fire engines, adults won't be passing on concerns about their neighborhoods, and officers won't be giving out goodies to the kids and crime statistics to the adults.
Rather than lay off police officers, the Police Department has frozen most vacant positions, meaning that 15 positions aren't filled, Capt. Gary Benincasa said.
"That breaks my heart to hear it," said Theresa Bettenhausen, who previously helped coordinate a block party and was hoping to get one started this year in her own neighborhood.
"The neighbors were all out; it was a way to help each other out. But it was also a way for the public to get to know their police officers and firemen," she said. "You like to get to know the police officers on a more casual basis, introduce your kids to them, let them know the police are the good guys."
Police employees and City Council members encourage residents to still hold National Night Out parties on Aug. 4. The nationwide event, held the first Tuesday of every August, is aimed at helping neighbors get to know each other so they can help prevent crime.
Galt police and San Joaquin County Sheriff's deputies will still visit and help coordinate parties held in those areas.
And Lodi officials, including Councilwoman Joanne Mounce, encourage residents to continue the tradition, even without the coordination of police.
"I realize that because of budget cuts, National Night Out in its usual form will not continue this year, but that doesn't stop all the citizens of Lodi from turning on their lights, locking their doors and going out and partying with the neighbors," Mounce said Monday.
A longtime supporter of the program, Mounce held her first neighborhood block party in 1992 on Lodi's Eastside, where both crime rates and poverty levels are higher.
"I've long said that the biggest, baddest gang we have out there is a band of citizens," she said.
Mounce organized a National Night Out party by spending two weeks going door-to-door, asking everyone to bring a dish representing their own heritage. She made macaroni salad in an ice chest, since it was the biggest container she could find and didn't want anyone to go without.
She got a permit to close Tokay Street at Cherokee Lane, and 100 people showed up, most of whom hadn't previously met each other.
That's how the neighborhood dismantled a notorious gang house, Mounce said. Because the neighbors all met at the block party, they realized that they could all band together to file complaints and talk to the homeowner until the gang members left.
Though police officers won't organize the event this year, Mounce hopes it's still a success. In fact, she encourages anyone to call her if they'd like her to visit their party.
National Night Out doesn't cost much in terms of actual police officer time, because they volunteer their time. In past years, officers have said they don't mind spending a Tuesday evening going to the parties, because they see such a positive outcome.
The biggest part for the police department is planning. Last year, 139 neighborhoods formed 82 parties all over the city.
Former Crime Prevention Officer Andrea Patterson compiled crime statistics for each neighborhood, then juggled the party schedule so that each one got a visit from police. Some had lots of children or made special requests, so they got a visit from the SWAT, K9 or motorcycle units. She also made sure that firefighters, American Medical Response paramedics, Lodi Improvement Committee members, city officials and council members visited parties.
That involved maps and block party captain names provided to all police officers and other visitors. Each party also got a bag of goodies, including stickers for children and crime prevention material for the adults.
"It's a pretty monumental task, and we just don't have the people to do it," Benincasa said. "People can still get together; we're just not going to put together this huge cabaret of visitors."
The crime prevention officer position is now vacant, because Patterson was needed as a dispatcher/jailer, a job she had previously held, so new training wasn't needed.
Her supervisor, Jeannie Biskup, is still overseeing crime prevention along with the volunteer Partners, but she has also taken over budget and purchasing matters due to a retirement that left an unfilled position, Benincasa said.
And the Police Department isn't just down by 15 positions. Two other employees are on long-term leave due to injuries, one is retiring next month, and another might soon be leaving to work for another department.
Councilman Bob Johnson had suggested that some volunteers, himself included, could take over the planning. But, Benincasa told Johnson, it would still take police time to get the volunteers up to speed on all the information, and there's nobody left to do that.
"I think it's too good a tradition to let die," Johnson said. "Hopefully, this is just a one-year glitch, and next year we can bring it back better than ever."
Another component that will be skipped is entering a nationwide contest put on by National Town Watch, which coordinates the event. The contest itself doesn't cost anything, but it involves putting together a massive, detailed packet containing photos, press clippings and videos from the whole year, Patterson said.
Last year, Lodi took sixth place nationwide out of 48 cities who entered the category of 50,000 to 99,999 population. In 1997, the city took first place.
For Mounce and others, community participation is key, and she doesn't want budget woes to keep Lodi from preventing crime.
"That doesn't stop each and every neighborhood watch captain — you know you are — from getting on the phone and calling everyone," she said.
Contact reporter Layla Bohm at layla@lodinews.com.
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lodidian wrote on Jun 27, 2009 9:40 AM:
Robb wrote on Jun 25, 2009 6:40 PM:
Bob Hussein Loblaw wrote on Jun 25, 2009 2:31 PM:
sam wrote on Jun 25, 2009 9:00 AM:
caliwings wrote on Jun 25, 2009 12:48 AM:
007 wrote on Jun 23, 2009 11:05 PM:
dogbark wrote on Jun 23, 2009 10:52 PM:
Maybe it is filing a bunch of street closing permits and the like. But I still don't see that there was much of a cost, at least not enough to really save anything by canceling the event.
Then again perhaps it is a way to say 'you people let our dept get cut, so.....' "
Cogito wrote on Jun 23, 2009 9:25 PM:
sam wrote on Jun 23, 2009 8:57 PM:
Well one would hope so. "
sparky wrote on Jun 23, 2009 8:40 PM:
classof72 wrote on Jun 23, 2009 3:09 PM:
boonablis wrote on Jun 23, 2009 1:13 PM:
mp wrote on Jun 23, 2009 10:21 AM:
Cogito wrote on Jun 23, 2009 9:38 AM:
Observer wrote on Jun 23, 2009 9:08 AM:
ordinarycitizen wrote on Jun 23, 2009 8:53 AM:
sam wrote on Jun 23, 2009 8:50 AM:
You would think the police and firemen would want to volunteer their time to this community event. Sad. "
jonsey wrote on Jun 23, 2009 8:45 AM:
Whoa Nellie! wrote on Jun 23, 2009 8:31 AM:
And to answer your question, I'd bet Unions.
Where has common sense gone? "
Cogito wrote on Jun 23, 2009 8:15 AM:
sa mom wrote on Jun 23, 2009 8:15 AM:
chevyman20 wrote on Jun 23, 2009 7:32 AM:
SO WHY KILL THESE EVENTS.. BLOCK PARTY'S ARE ABOUT EVERYONE GETTING TO KNOW HOW TO KEEP OUR BLOCKS SAFE AND THAT MEANS POLICE AND FIRE DEPT INVOLVED "
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