Lacey neighbors keep eyes out for crime — and for each other

When it comes to crime prevention, Horizon Pointe is one of the most active neighborhoods in Lacey.

More than 350 participate in the neighborhood watch program, patroling the streets nightly. And its annual National Night Out Against Crime event is one of the largest in the county, drawing about 1,500 people each year.

“We decided that we care about this neighborhood, and we care about the things that happen here,” said Adam Berg, neighborhood watch coordinator and social chair for the Horizon Pointe Neighborhood Association.

The neighborhood began throwing an annual National Night Out party in 2010, and the tradition continued Tuesday night. Berg said the dynamics of the neighborhood make large-scale gatherings difficult — the 1,200-home neighborhood is full of military families and renters.

“There’s a lot of transition, people move around a lot,” Berg said. “And I think a lot of people don’t know what we have to offer. It’s hard to bring everyone together at one time.”

But, he said that National Night Out has become the neighborhood’s main event of the year. It’s hosted at Horizon Pointe Park, in the heart of the neighborhood. It’s free, and guests are given a meal in addition to entertainment. It’s geared towards families, and featured games and a bounce house this year.

Barbara Nelson, of Lacey, said she has brought her family to National Night Out for the past nine years because her kids love it.

“They always have fun,” Nelson said. “There are always firefighters and police officers for them to talk to.”

One of the law enforcement officers present Tuesday was Deputy Chris Packard of the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office. He brought along the Sheriff’s Office’s newest K9 officer, Dexter. Dexter lay in the grass, chewing on a rubber toy, and allowed children to pet him.

“He loves to come to work, and he loves kids,” Packard said.

Packard said he and Dexter had just come from tracking a suspect. The duo planned to do a demonstration sometime during the event.

Representatives from the military, Lacey Fire District 3 and the Lacey Police Department were also present for the festivities.

Berg said that he hopes the event will help neighbors to get to know one another, so that people are more likely to keep an eye out for one another.

“We’re hoping to bring awareness, and to keep people looking out for our neighborhood,” Berg said.

This story was originally published August 2, 2016 at 7:49 PM with the headline "Lacey neighbors keep eyes out for crime — and for each other."