People across the nation will walk out their doors, join their neighbors and take a stand against crime in their communities on Tuesday night.

Bismarck and Burleigh County will hold the annual "Community Safety Social" that night from 5 to 8 at Sleepy Hollow Park to coincide with "National Night Out Against Crime" activities across the country.

The social is a free event featuring law enforcement and community groups. Participating in the event will be Bismarck Police Department, Burleigh County Sheriff's Department, North Dakota Highway Patrol, 911 Dispatch, Metro Area Ambulance Service, Region VII Safe and Drug Free Communities Coalition and the Bismarck Fire Department.

Free refreshments will be available, as will child identification kits and give-aways.

People attending the social can see a North Dakota National Guard helicopter, the Burleigh County Dive Rescue Unit, the fire department education trailer, patrol cars, a crash simulator, and the Bismarck Mounted Police.

"The kids like to see the horses," Bismarck Police Chaplain Dan Sweeney said.

K-9 demonstrations will be held at 6:30 p.m. Various children's activities also will be going on throughout the night. Recovery specialists from Ace 24 Hour Towing and Bergs 24 Hour Towing also will be on hand.

"There's going to be a ton of stuff there," Sweeney said.

The safety social originally was planned for June, but rain forced its cancellation.

"The weather shot us last time," Sweeney said.

Sweeney said the back-up date for the social happened to be the same as the National Night Out, a crime and drug prevention event sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch. The Bismarck event is not an official National Night Out event, though Sweeney said it is a possibility in the future.

The purpose of National Night Out is to heighten crime prevention awareness, generate support for and participation in local anti-crime programs, strengthen community spirit and law enforcement-community partnerships, and send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.

Cities, towns and neighborhoods have come up with a variety of National Night Out events, including block parties, cookouts, visits from law enforcement, parades, exhibits, flashlight walks, contests and youth programs.

For more information on National Night Out, visit www.nationaltownwatch.org/nno.

Sleepy Hollow Park is located at the corner of North 26th Street and Divide Avenue.

For more information on the safety social, visit www.bismarck.org or call 355-1889.

(Reach reporter Jenny Michael at 250-8225 or jenny.michael@;bismarcktribune.com.)