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San Antonio celebrates National Night Out to strengthen sense of community

The goal is to strengthen relationships between neighbors and first responders in the area

SAN ANTONIO – Oct. 1 is National Night Out, and several organizations across San Antonio hosted events to foster community.

“I think it’s amazing to be out here, the community coming together as one is great… the band, I love the band, I can hear them from my house, and I’m like aye,” said Ciera Roman.

The community events are neighborhood parties with a purpose. The goal is to strengthen relationships between neighbors and first responders in the area.

“When a young man or woman sees a man or woman in blue, they don’t need to be afraid of them. They need to build that relationship with them, and it also helps our officers start a relationship with families; that way, if something does happen, they have a starting point,” said Eduardo Hernandez, Edgewood Independent School District superintendent.

The community event is also an opportunity to meet neighbors and discuss issues their community struggles with.

“Right now, it seems to be car thefts for some reason; I know we deal with stray animals quite a bit as well,” said Rudy Lopez, the Vice President of the Thompson Neighborhood Association.

And once certain issues are identified, knowing who needs to be made aware and how.

“It’s important to bring the community into what we are doing as well as our families so that way they know what’s going on; they know what to expect of the district, and we know what they expect of us,” said Rita Sanchez, a program coordinator for the San Antonio Independent School District.


About the Authors
John Paul Barajas headshot

John Paul Barajas is a reporter at KSAT 12. Previously, he worked at KRGV 5 in the Rio Grande Valley. He has a degree from the University of Houston. In his free time, he likes to get a workout in, spend time on the water and check out good eats and drinks.

Gavin Nesbitt headshot

Gavin Nesbitt is an award-winning photojournalist and video editor who joined KSAT in September 2021. He won a Lone Star Emmy, a Regional Murrow, a Texas Broadcast News Award, a Headliners Foundation Silver Showcase Award and 2 Telly Awards for his work covering the deadly school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

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