A night out to snuff out crime

West Whiteland Township is hosting free food and actitivies tomorrow during the "28th Annual National Night Out," an initiative sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch to heighten partnerships between communities and law-enforcement.

Local police, Philadelphia sports representatives. and corporate sponsors, including Primo Hoagies, Herr Foods, Pepsi, Sprint, AT&T, Verizon, Frito-Lay and Coca-Cola, will be on hand to spotlight crime prevention from 5 to 8 p.m. at Exton's Target store, a nationwide sponsor of the event.

Residents are asked to lock their doors, turn on their lights, and spend the evening outside with police and members of the community, sending a message to criminals that their neighborhoods are not crook-friendly.

Outside the Target store, 201 Sunrise Boulevard, emergency services personnel will provide crime prevention and fire prevention tips, and the Chester County Sheriff's Office will show off a K-9 team.

In addition, representatives of the Philadelphia Union and Philadelphia Wings will sign autographs, and signed sports memorabilia from hometown stars like Claude Giroux, Scott Hartnell, and Craig Brackins will be raffled off, along with Philadelphia Union tickets, cell phone accessories, and more.

According to the National Night Oout website, more than 37 million people participated last year. For more information, visit http://www.nationalnightout.org/nno/about.html.