National Night Out 2026 will be observed nationally on Tuesday, August 4. City of Alexandria personnel will be visiting as many participating neighborhoods as possible between 5 and 8 p.m.
What is National Night Out?
National Night Out (NNO) is a celebration of community and public safety agencies coming together to promote community policing partnerships.
During the event, residents throughout Alexandria are asked to come outside and enjoy the evening with their neighbors, police, firefighters, and other City officials. Events held will vary by neighborhood and include cookouts, block parties, and more.
As participation in National Night Out continues to grow across Alexandria each year, residents are encouraged to invite neighbors, apartment communities, civic associations, and local organizations to help make 2026 the city’s largest and most connected National Night Out yet.
The Alexandria Police Department's K-9 Unit, Motorcycle Unit, Bike Patrol, Command Staff and patrol officers will tour neighborhoods and offer special demonstrations with members of Alexandria Sheriff’s Office, Alexandria Fire Department, Department of Emergency and Customer Communications, and other public safety agencies.
NNO is designed to increase crime prevention awareness, generate support for crime prevention programs, and send a message to criminals that neighborhoods are organized, and are in partnership with law enforcement and public safety agencies to help prevent crime.
NNO was introduced in August of 1984 through an already established network of law enforcement agencies, neighborhood watch groups, civic groups, state and regional crime prevention associations and volunteers across the nation. The first annual National Night Out involved 2.5 million neighbors across 400 communities in 23 states.
According to NNO, last year's event was the largest ever that involved 18,000 communities from all 50 states, U.S. territories and military bases worldwide. Additionally, the City of Alexandria, Virginia, was honored as one of the top 15 communities in the United States in its city size category for its participation. Out of more than 400 similarly-sized communities that participated in 2025's NNO, Alexandria’s engagement, creativity, and commitment to fostering trust between officers and residents earned this prestigious recognition.
Register Your Neighborhood to Participate
The City of Alexandria invites you and your neighborhood community to participate in the National Night Out on Tuesday, August 4. Neighborhoods across the nation will host a fun evening to meet-and-greet neighbors and celebrate with City officials, emergency response personnel and front line staff.
As National Night Out continues to grow throughout Alexandria each year, we encourage residents to help expand participation by inviting neighbors, apartment communities, civic associations, faith-based organizations, and local groups to get involved and host events of their own.
Step 1: Register your event location with the City by July 21
Step 2: You’ll hear back from a member of our NNO Coordination Team at APD. Visits by City personnel to NNO events throughout the city are being coordinated and we will do our best to accommodate everyone.
Step 3: The location of your NNO event will be listed here on the City's website as a participating NNO community.
Step 4: Share your photos and videos on social media using hashtag #ALXNNO26 and tag us (@AlexandriaVAPD).
Questions?
For questions or additional information about NNO, please call 703.746.6703 or email robert.pond@alexandriava.gov.