By ALFREDO ALVARADO

Union activists joined neighborhood residents and police officers around the city for the annual National Night Out.

The first Tuesday of August police precincts around the country join with community residents in an effort to build stronger relationships and safer communities. In Harlem police officers from the 32^nd Precinct closed down 135^th Street between 7^th and 8^th avenues and set up games for the neighborhood children to enjoy.

“This’s a nice thing to do for the community and the kids have a great time,” said Local 1549 member Nakisha Crown, who works as a payroll supervisor. “The police and the community have to work together, so this is a good start.”

DC 37 activists joined the Police Dept. and community activists at Baisley Pond Park in Queens, Midland Beach in Staten Island, in the Bronx and at Restoration Plaza near the 79^th Precinct on Fulton Street in Brooklyn. The activists set up tables and got an opportunity to engage residents, meet union members and register people to vote.

“Events like this give us a chance to meet residents and union members and let them know that strong unions equal strong communities,” said Orlando Rivera, from the union’s Political Action Dept. Rivera set up a table in the Bronx near the 49^th Precinct and registered several new voters.