National Night Out

National Night Out 2019 comes to the Northside Tuesday, Aug. 6, 5:30‒7:30 pm, at Warner Park. National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police/community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie. For the past 35 years, National Night Out has been celebrated in thousands of communities in all 50 states.

The Madison Police Department will be joined by members of the Madison Fire Department and Madison Parks Rangers. The Madison Mallards are hosting the event near the Sherman Avenue entrance to Warner Park. Police, Fire and Parks Department vehicles will be on display. The Mallards will be hosting the 2019 Major League Dream Showcase, featuring the top talent in the Northwoods League, playing in a doubleheader at the Duck Pond. 

Madison Police will have several specialty units in attendance, including K9, Mounted, Traffic Enforcement, SWAT, Neighborhood Officers and the Community Policing Team. Please join us Aug. 6 at Warner Park for a chance to meet your neighbors and local first responders.

Summer safety tips

Burglary, thefts from autos and stolen vehicles are continuing crime trends on the Northside. Thieves target houses with open garage doors, as well as unlocked cars parked on the street or driveway. A recent trend involves teens driving around in groups of stolen vehicles targeting houses with open garage doors or unlocked cars in large parking lots. These thefts are occurring during the day as well as nighttime hours.

Keep your garage overhead door closed. Keep your home and car doors locked at all times. Do not leave anything of value visible in your car. Do not keep a spare key hidden in your car. Do not leave a garage door opener in cars parked on the street or in the driveway.

An earlier version of this article incorrectly attributed the column to former North District Police Captain Jay Lengfeld.