Night Out Against Crime
West Peoria's ninth "National Night Out Against Crime" will be held on Saturday, August 22, at Franciscan Park from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. This event is sponsored by the West Peoria Neighborhood Watch, the city of West Peoria, West Peoria Township, and the Peoria County Sheriff's Department.
One very special event will be the Township's bicycle registration and rodeo. Young people can bring their bikes to be inspected for their safety and registered so that lost or stolen bikes can be recovered and returned to the owners by the Sheriff's Department. The bike rodeo is designed to teach skills and rules for bicyclists.
Each youngster who takes part in the rodeo and registers a bike will be entered in a drawing for a new bicycle to be given at the Night Out festivities. In addition, the Advanced Medical Transport will distribute a bike helmet to any child who needs one.
Other events for both young and old will include a canine demonstration by the Sheriff's Department, a Child I.D. program, a dunk tank, and a display of equipment by the West Peoria Fire Department.
Music provided by the Eclectic Living Room Band and refreshments including hot dogs and sno-cones will also be featured.
These fun-filled activities of the Night Out will be carried out by volunteers representing various West Peoria social, civic, and community organizations-including the West Peoria Boy Scout Troop #11 and the West Peoria Fire Department.
Township officials state, "We are excited that the event has been moved to a Saturday at 4 p.m. in hopes of attracting even more participation from the community."
Deputy Chris Watkins has remarked that the efforts of the Neighborhood Watch program have led to the reporting and solving of crimes and that crimes involving bicycle theft have been solved as a direct result of the Night Out's bicycle registration.