Wareham Police Chief Richard Stanley and Town Administrator Mark Andrews will be hosting the Wareham Police Department's first National Night Out (NNO) on August 3, 2010 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Lopes Field in Onset.

National Night Out is an event that focuses on crime prevention by encouraging communities and local police departments to work together as partners. Neighborhoods form anti-crime programs which send a strong message to criminals, letting them know that the neighborhoods are organized and are fighting back against crime.

Along with the traditional outside lights and front-porch vigils, most cities and towns celebrate National Night Out with a variety of special events that include block parties, cookouts, parades, festivals, and visits from local officials.

In years past, local community volunteer Joseph Olivieri started the first-ever Wareham National Night Out in his own  Lake Shores neighborhood. Mr. Olivieri has given countless hours of himself over the past years toward this effort and is the catalyst for this years Town-Wide event.

According to a police department press release, National Night Out will round out the town and police department's Summer Safe 2010 program.  This program combines life guards, a new Wareham Harbor patrol boat, seasonal police officers on bike and foot patrols, new, state-of-the-art police cruisers, and a citizen-volunteer program put together by Sgt. John Walcek and Lieutenant Kevin Walsh of the Wareham Police Dept.

The event will begin with a first responder vehicle parade at dusk (5:45 p.m.) from St. Mary's church to Lopes Field. At the field, the Plymouth County Sheriffs Department will be offer child ID/fingerprinting and a K-9 demonstration beginning at 6:30 p.m. The Wareham Police K-9 unit will begin a demonstration at 7:45 p.m.

The Wareham Police Department's own Officer George Dionne and his band Sound Tower will provide live music, and there will be exhibits of various fire trucks, an EMS ambulance, an interactive "smokehouse," a vehicle-extrication demonstration, a Moonwalk, face-painting, a rock wall, and our special guest, Smokey the Bear.

Volunteers from the Community/Police Partnership will be fitting children with free bicycle helmets acquired through a grant from the United Way of New Bedford.

Community/Police Partnership volunteers will be assisting throughout the event with free hot dogs, chips and soda, and also at the various informational tables.Other exhibitors include MRC-Statewide Head Injury Program; Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts; the S.A.V.E. team; The National Guard; Phillips Lifeline; MassBike Cape and Islands; Mayflower Mobile Vet; and  ITT Tech.  Sponsors include Target, Jack Conway-Wareham, Perfect Party Rentals, and the Wareham Lodge of Elks.

The event is free.