National Night Out unites residents in fight against crime

Drug dealers and other miscreants often congregate at the corner of Sumner Avenue and Attaway Street in the Charleston Farms neighborhood of North Charleston.

On Tuesday, neighborhood residents took over the intersection.

They were among the people in 17 or so communities throughout the metro area who came together through cookouts, flashlight walks and organized marches to show solidarity in the fight against crime on National Night Out, a nationwide program aimed at preventing crime.

"We are fighting back," Charles Ellis of Charleston Farms said.

One of his neighbors, Wesley Fletcher, could not have been more pleased.

"I think it's great any time you can get law-abiding citizens in a spot that drug dealers usually control," said Fletcher, who has lived in Charleston Farms for about a year. "If we can take over a public space like this for one night, it disrupts them and pushes them farther away."

Ellis and residents provided hotdogs, watermelon and gospel music to the 150 or more who joined their party.

Over in Forest Hills off Dorchester Road, Police Chief Jon Zumalt kicked off an hour-long march through the neighborhood after North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey said he was feeling a bit tired and could not make it.

Before heading over to Charleston Farms, Zumalt and more than 100 residents marched and carried banners while police officers on bicycles and a fire truck followed the crowd through Forest Hills.

"People go home from work, close the blinds, turn on the TV and hope it doesn't happen in their neighborhood," Zumalt said. "This is about getting them to know each other and them getting familiar with the neighborhood."

Forest Hills resident Eugene Richardson has lived there for 11 years.

"This is to let people know that we are watching," he said.

For the first time in four years in Charleston, the police department did not sponsor an event at one central location.

"The police chief wanted them to be in the communities where they are supposed to be," Charleston police Sgt. Trevor Shelor said.

Residents from the East Side to James Island sponsored cookouts to bring neighbors together and raise community awareness of crime.

Mount Pleasant police and fire officials handed out information on crime prevention at Target at Seaside Farms.

Reach Warren Wise at 745-5850 or wwise@postandcourier.com.