The city of Bowling Green has been recognized as Rookie of the Year for participating in the 21st annual National Night Out held in August, a crime and drug prevention event sponsored by National Association of Town Watch.

Natt Peskin, the Associate Director of NATW, said there are five criteria that are looked at when considering which city receives the award. An awards committee looks at neighborhood involvement, law enforcement involvement, media and promotion campaign, city events, and a post-project report.

If all aspects are what they consider to be an exceptional first year, the Rookie of the Year title is awarded.

The event took place on Tuesday, Aug. 3, and citizens of Bowling Green were encouraged to lock their doors, turn on outside lights and spend the evening with neighbors and police.

Among other things, National Night Out is meant to raise awareness about crime and drug prevention, increase support for local anti-crime programs, strengthen police-community partnerships and send a message to criminals that communities are fighting back.

In addition to turning on outdoor lights, many Bowling Green residents participated in a crime and drug “Going Away Party” at the City Park Stone Shelter House. Other activities included cookouts, giveaways, a DJ and children’s activities including face painting and finger printing.

Bowling Green Police Department Lt. Bradley Biller said he thinks events like these are important to the community.

“Events like the National Night Out bring the community one step closer to participating in crime prevention activities and awareness,” he said.

Biller said that during the event the Bowling Green police talked about another crime prevention program called Citizens on Patrol (COPS).

COPS is a program where the police department trains volunteers to use their equipment including radios and flashlights.

The volunteers go out in pairs or groups of three and look for things that might seem out of place or point to criminal activity. If they see any, they are in direct communication with the police department through the radios.

“This program has been successful for the past four years because we have seen criminal activity go down,” Biller said.

Next year’s National Night Out is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 2. Organizations can register to participate at www.natw.org/nno.