Neighbors in Covington, Maple Valley and Black Diamond will celebrate National Night Out Tuesday, Aug. 3, with barbecues, visits from police, firefighters and city council members.

The goal of the annual event, now in its 27th year, is to raise awareness of crime and drug prevention, generate support and participation in local crime prevention programs, strengthen connections between neighbors as well as residents and police while sending a message neighborhoods are organized and fighting back against crime.

National Night Out is sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch.

As of July 27, Covington Police Chief Kevin Klason said there were two confirmed neighborhood locations and was waiting to hear back from at least three other neighborhood groups that had hosted activities last year.

One location is in a neighborhood starting at 6 p.m., Klason said, and “one of my guys or myself and a council member will go by” to visit with residents.

Klason said they also plan to go to Covington Place Senior Center around 7 p.m. for a “gathering there in the social room with coffee and cookies.”

There are four stops planned by Maple Valley police officers, Maple Valley Fire and Life Safety personnel along with Maple Valley City Council members starting at Cedar Downs around 6 p.m., then to Highland Greens where police will distribute children’s identity kits.

After that the group will head to the Water Tower Park at Maple Woods at 7 p.m. then from there go to the community park in the Glacier Valley neighborhood where King County Sheriff’s Office search and rescue helicopter Guardian One will be landing.

“This year we are partnering with Target stores in addition to Maple Valley Fire and Life Safety and some of our local businesses,” said Maple Valley Officer Jeff Harmon in an e-mail to city officials.

Last year more than 36 million people nationwide participated in National Night Out.

This year close to 100 cities and counties in Washington state alone are registered with National Night Out as official communities participating in the event