JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
Texas won first place among all states for outstanding participation in the 2012 National Night Out campaign against crime, drugs and violence.
In the category for populations of 300,000 people and more, San Antonio took second place, and in a district with 12 entries including churches, community centers and schools, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph received an award for third place.
JBSA-Randolph celebrated NNO Oct. 2 in the housing area on North Park Street, where 400 people attended the family-oriented event and joined members from the 902nd Security Forces Squadron, 902nd Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Emergency Services and JBSA-Randolph energy conservation team.
McGruff the Crime Dog and Sparky the Fire Dog were on board to attract and encourage children to lead responsible lives.
Features like three-legged races, an obstacle course, fire truck display and patrol car display kept them engaged.
JBSA-Randolph was judged on four criteria from the National Association of Town Watch: the degree to which citizens are made aware of the NNO program; the degree to which citizens and external groups participate in the program; the reach of the program in terms of recognition from the community, dignitaries, private and public agencies; and the extent to which the program has impacted crime in the targeted area.
However, the bigger picture is JBSA-Randolph's contribution to drug, crime and violence prevention in conjunction with the surrounding area.
"Many communities, organizations and visitors came together in and around San Antonio in a common cause to send a message that we will not tolerate drugs and crime," Juan Ayala, San Antonio Police Department community services supervisor and NNO liaison to JBSA-Randolph, said.
This year's NNO campaigns involved 37.5 million people in 15,700 communities from all 50 states, U.S. territories and military bases worldwide, according to the National Association of Town Watch.
"We (as security forces and firefighters) are getting out there and interacting with the public," Staff Sgt. Eric Simmons, 902nd SFS NCO in charge of police services, said.
"The awareness is there and so are the resources."
To make sure future NNO events are successful, JBSA-Randolph will "continue to incorporate our entire team working hard every day to protect our community: Hunt Housing, the fire department, Wing Safety, Family Advocacy, security forces and off-base police departments," Maj. Gregory Bodenstein, 902nd SFS commander, said.
All NNO 2012 award winners can be viewed by visiting the online website at www.nationalnightout.org/nno.