By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – Residents across the River Parishes are encouraged Tuesday to turn on their porch lights and join forces with their neighbors in an effort to give criminals the message that good citizens are fighting back.

Tuesday marks the 29th year for the annual National Night out Against Crime, and once again St. John the Baptist, St. James and St. Charles parishes will be well represented with dozens of block parties, cookouts and other celebrations. This year marks the second year that the festivities were moved from August to October to take advantage of cooler temperatures.

The National Night Out, which is sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch, is designed to heighten crime awareness and drug prevention, generate support and participation in local anti-crime efforts, strengthen neighborhood spirit and police/community relations and send a message to criminals letting them know neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.

The largest turnout of the three parishes typically comes from St. John Parish, but organizers said Wednesday that party registration has been slowed by Hurricane Isaac.

“We usually get requests from as many as 50 groups, but right now we have about 34 registered parties,” said Sgt. Marshall Carmouche, commander of the community relations division of the St. John Sheriff’s Office. “It isn’t too late to register, but the earlier the better so that our office can plan accordingly.”

Carmouche said the Sheriff’s Office makes a great effort to spread deputies across the parish so a few can visit each party and spend time getting to know the neighborhood.

“We often get together with the fire department to show off some of our equipment for the kids,” he said. “We also get a good chance to gauge the community spirit, but we want these events to get people out of their homes and into the neighborhood.”

Susie Gauthier, Night Out coordinator for St. Charles, said the parish normally schedules around 20 parties a year involving a lot of the same groups. She said a few new groups have signed up this year.

“There is a lot of interaction between deputies and citizens,” said Gauthier. “We make sure that parties specify if they have kids in attendance so that deputies can be ready with equipment to show off.”

Gauthier said the Sheriff’s Office is still taking party registration up until Tuesday morning.

In St. James Parish, organizers say they are expecting about a dozen parties across both sides of the Mississippi River to celebrate the Night Out. St. James Parish organizer Craig Poche said the communities of Lutcher and Gramercy are often well represented during the night out. On the west bank side, Poche said there is often good representation in Vacherie, as well as in the community of Welcome, which is holding a large Night Out Party at Welcome Recreational Park.

Tuesday’s Night Out against Crime festivities typically run from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

There will also be a kickoff party for the entire New Orleans metropolitan region on Sunday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Treasure Chest Casino in Kenner. The event includes free food and entertainment, along with demonstrations from law enforcement officials.

Organizers in all three parishes said there is still time to register and clear a block party before Tuesday.

Anyone still wishing to schedule an event should call Carmouche at 985-652-7058, Gauthier at 985-783-1355 or Poche at 225-562-2203.