ST. LOUIS – Neighborhoods across St. Louis gathered Tuesday evening to celebrate National Night Out and promote connections between residents and local law enforcement officers. More than 100 events were held throughout the St. Louis area, including Ferguson and Edwardsville, where community members enjoyed time with police officers and city officials.

St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones attended one of the Northside meetings and expressed her excitement about working with the community.

“I look forward to being in the community and with my constituents, hearing their concerns and celebrating with them,” she said. “There’s a lot of change coming in (North St. Louis), so I’m just happy to be here with the people in the community to celebrate that.”

After a summer of tension, the events provided an opportunity to strengthen community relationships. One such incident was the attack on Ferguson police officer Travis Brown during a protest earlier this year.

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“I think it shows how the city has always come together. “Nights like this and what this city has to offer are second to none,” said St. Louis Police Chief Robert Tracy.

The celebration also highlighted progress such as the upcoming Brickline Greenway North Connector, a public trail with construction scheduled to begin in spring 2025.

“We do everything with the community. We share iterations, we have our design partners here with models, we have art plans drawn up,” said Dallas Adams, communications manager for Great Rivers Greenway. “We are here to educate the community, connect them with vendors and partners, and be excited about this public trail leading through their community.”

The National Night Out events featured free food, live music, DJ sets, bounce houses and even a petting zoo. Local artists and dealers were also there and offered their wares for sale.

This national initiative aims to restore a sense of community, and the evening seemed to capture that spirit as officers, children and neighbors shared moments of dancing, laughter and fun.

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