Local emergency services personnel in Springfield and the western part of Clark County mingled on a sunny Tuesday evening with the residents they protect as part of a nationwide program designed to increase crime prevention awareness.

Officials say the annual National Night Out brings community members and officers closer in an effort to prevent crime through education and breaks down barriers between residents and law enforcement in a relaxing atmosphere.

In Springfield, the police division hosted residents on City Hall Plaza for an opportunity to learn about the division and the men and women sworn to protect them.

Also taking part were Springfield Fire Rescue Division and other public Clark County agencies, as well as volunteer and service organizations like Cole’s Warriors, a local drug prevention and education group, and the Air National Guard.

“It’s a night where the (police) division and the community can come together and stand united and committed against crime,” said Sgt. Joe Tedeschi of the division’s Community Response Team. “It gives (residents) a chance to interact with police in a different way than they would see on TV and in the news.”

The McDermott family came to Springfield’s annual event for the first time.

Springfield resident Debbie McDermott said a police liaison for her neighborhood watch group told residents about the event, so she brought her daughters-in-law Leslie of German Twp. and Shelli of South Charleston and grandsons, Mason, 3, Eli, 1, and twins Adam and Reid, 7.

Tedeschi said the division held the event 30 minutes earlier this year in hopes to boost attendance by catching downtown workers before they headed home for the evening.

About 700 people attended the event last year, he said.

The Clark County Sheriff’s Office hosted three other local events including in Enon in conjunction with the Enon Police Department, in New Carlisle and in Bethel Twp.

About 37.1 million nationwide people took part in last year’s event, sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch. About 15,300 communities across the country were expected to take part this year.