Little Rock and North Little Rock host annual National Night Out
Communities gathered across Little Rock and North Little Rock for over a dozen neighborhood events. Leaders said the gatherings help fight crime and blend residents, police officers and officials together. Festivities took place across both sides of the river for National Night Out 2026. Families enjoyed bounce houses, food, music and fun throughout the evening.
Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. said the annual event supports ongoing city crime prevention efforts. He said the process helps neighbors connect and build trust with local officers.
“Our police officers are our guardians,” Scott Jr. said. “You get a chance to meet your neighbor, to love thy neighbor as a part of this process.”
Scott Jr. also noted that he loves seeing residents unite for a shared cause.
North Little Rock Mayor Terry Hartwick called the gathering a major community building affair.
“It’s a community. That’s what we have in North Little Rock, a strong community,” Hartwick said.
Officers spent time meeting local families. At the Southwest Community Center, Little Rock Police Department Lieutenant Kenneth Baker joined the festivities. Baker said the annual event is one of his favorite things to do each year.
“I’ve been a police officer for 14 years, I look forward to the national night events to be able to mingle with the kids and really be around the community,” Baker said.
Seven-year-old Coulton Wade attended the neighborhood activities. Wade said he hopes to become a police officer someday.
“I actually wanna be a soldier but when I’m done being a soldier I wanna be a cop,” Wade said.
Wade invited more neighbors to join the fun next year.
“I wanna say that everybody that’s at home and in cars, they need to come here because we’re having a lot of fun,” Wade said.
National Night Out is an annual community campaign across the country. The events promote partnerships between residents and law enforcement officers. Little Rock police personnel participate every year to foster safer neighborhoods.
Both cities completed the evening.
