Next Tuesday, August 7, all across Queens, New York City, America and Canada, police, neighborhood watch groups, civic organizations, elected officials, candidates for office and local residents will come together to celebrate the 29th National Night Out Against Crime. National Night Out Against Crime 2012 is designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness; generate support for, and participation in, local anticrime programs; strengthen neighborhood spirit and police–community partnerships, and perhaps most important, send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.

For weeks, local news outlets have been running stories about rising crime rates across the city.

Events such as National Night Out Against Crime encourage citizens to work with police at all levels, from anonymous tips through testimony in open court, to make their communities better, safer places. We hope our readers will join in National Night Out Against Crime 2012. The fight to make this a better world begins with us. Let us start now.