Whitehall Township is bringing back the police department-sponsored National Night Out, after an absence of several years. From 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Aug. 2, the program will be held in the Whitehall-Coplay School District football stadium parking lot.

Acting Chief of Police Lt. Michael J. Marks has encouraged the public to attend.

Marks noted the National Night Out program is part of the National Association of Town Watch observance, at which communities hold special programs and encourage residents to turn on their porch lights.

Marks said the public will have an opportunity to meet with the township’s first responders at the Tuesday event.

There will be equipment to view and representatives to speak with from the police and fire departments, Cetronia Ambulance Corps, Lehigh Valley Health Network, MedEvac, Whitehall Emergency Management, township-elected officials and Whitehall-Coplay School District personnel.

The free family event allows residents to explore the various police, fire and EMS apparatus with hands-on tours of police cars, fire trucks and ambulances.

Coplay Town Watch will host its 22nd annual National Night Out Aug. 2. It will be held 5:30-8 p.m. at the American Club of Coplay, 300 Cherry St.

This year’s event in the borough is considered “low key” and will include entertainment by a deejay and Tootsie the Clown, gifts for kids, and displays by numerous vendors and law enforcement organizations.

The borough organization has won national awards for previous successful National Night Out events.

In 1984, the National Association of Town Watch introduced the idea of National Night Out to promote police-community partnerships, crime prevention and neighborhood camaraderie.