‘‘You see other people and you begin to recognize who your neighbors are. Some people are new,” said Patricia Caffrey, who lives in South Four Corners with daughters Maggie, 3, and Clara, 2, and her husband, Peter.
‘‘It’s mostly safe but we get lots of foot traffic,” said Peter Caffrey, who, despite feeling safe, has witnessed some strange things. ‘‘There are some weird people walking around in the middle of the night. A guy made threats at me [once],” he said.
With the minor problems in the neighborhood, parents were happy to have their children participate in National Night Out. ‘‘I want them to get used to seeing the police in case there is any emergency,” Patricia Caffrey said.
The police passed out glowing necklaces to the youngsters and conversed with the adults. ‘‘It’s a great way for kids to get to know law enforcement,” said Teresa Lawrence, who attended with her children, Connor, 8, and Katie, 6.
South Four Corners was one of several areas throughout eastern Montgomery County that hosted National Night Out activities. Most venues were complete with entertainment and free food.
At New Hampshire Estates, Martha Waddy, president of the New Hampshire Estates Civic Association, busied herself passing out hamburgers and hot dogs to children and teens who came across the block party.
‘‘Some folks hadn’t seen one another since the last time we did this. Their paths don’t cross unless there’s a gathering like this,” she said.
New Hampshire Estates shares both the diversity and crime trends of the nearby Takoma-Langley Crossroads, said resident Andrew Summers. Waddy said the community’s Neighborhood Watch program has been in effect since 1992, and has made the area more cognizant of residents’ concerns.
‘‘We said to those committing crimes: ‘Not in our neighborhood,’” Waddy said. ‘‘By communicating with each other, we can make more people aware of different kinds of crime prevention.”
Staff Writer Agnes Jasinski contributed to this story.
