Resolution 150557

..Title Recognizing August 4, 2015 as "National Night Out" in Philadelphia as a neighborhood-engaging program to build up police-community partnerships and make our City a safer and better place to live. ..Body WHEREAS, National Night Out is an event that occurs annually on the first Tuesday of August all across the United States, Canada, and military bases around the world; and WHEREAS, National Night Out is sponsored by The National Association of Town Watch in the United States and promotes positive and healthy relationships between neighbors and law enforcement; and WHEREAS, Residents participate in National Night Out by hosting block parties, festivals, parades, cookouts, and other community events with safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, and visits from emergency personnel; and WHEREAS, In the 1700s, there were no police officers in Philadelphia, so citizens started the first town watch by taking turns to patrol the streets throughout the evening; and WHEREAS, On July 1, 1996, the Office of the Managing Director of the City of Philadelphia instituted The Philadelphia Operation Town Watch Program (now known as Town Watch Integrated Services) under the leadership of Anthony Murphy; and WHEREAS, Murphy created a program to train more Town Watch groups. Now, there are more than 750 certified Town Watch groups consisting of over 23,000 trained members in Philadelphia; and WHEREAS, The mission of Town Watch Integrated Services is to "facilitate in building a better network of community partners which empowers them to participate in the process of creating a desirable quality of life."; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That it hereby recognizes August 4, 2015 as "National Night Out" in Philadelphia as a neighborhood-engaging program to build up police-community partnerships and make our City a safer and better place to live. FURTHER RESOLVED, That an engrossed copy of this Resolution be presented to Anthony Murphy, Executive Director of Town Watch Integrated Services, further evidencing the sincere admiration and respect of this legislative body. ..End