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Part potluck and part crime prevention, Berkeley residents, city officials and public safety officers met Tuesday evening at various locations to celebrate the annual National Night Out Against Crime. 

The event, now in its 19th year, is designed to heighten crime- and drug-prevention awareness and strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community relations. 

While specific crime issues vary from neighborhood to neighborhood, gathering together as a community can contribute to safety everywhere, said Lt. Cynthia Harris of the Berkeley Police Department.  

Drug activity has been a concern in parts of both south and west Berkeley recently, say police and city officials. However, the phenomenon is not citywide. In other sections of the city, traffic safety and disaster preparedness have been the focus.  

Residents near Halcyon Commons in south Berkeley gathered Tuesday evening to say hello to friends and neighbors, meet their beat officer and city councilmember and discuss important neighborhood concerns. 

“The focus is on having a good time,” said Nancy Carleton, co-chairperson for the Halcyon Neighborhood Association, celebrating its 10th Anniversary Tuesday evening. “It gives people a chance to brainstorm, sign petitions and meet their neighbors.” 

Traffic was their biggest concern. Residents and officials agreed that the area needs greater parking enforcement. 

In addition, neighbors discussed what has become a neighborhood eyesore at the 3000 block of Telegraph Avenue. Two vacant buildings, partially destroyed in a recent fire, have remained a haven for the homeless and graffiti over the past seven months, residents say. Though graffiti was recently painted over, neighbors complain that a wholesale change needs to take place at the site. 

For south Berkeley resident Susan Sirrine, who often brings her dog, Zazie, to Halcyon Commons, the event provided an opportunity to discuss the need for more dog-walking spots in the city. 

Central Berkeley residents, meanwhile, celebrated the evening event at the Berkshire, a local assisted living facility. 

Residents and staff members at the Berkshire, on Sacramento Street near Allston Way, say the crime prevention event has been a success each of the past three years. 

“Every year it’s gotten bigger and bigger. We wanted the residents here to be a part of the community. This gives them a chance to socialize and to ask questions of the police,” said Susan Melin, sales and marketing director of the 90-person residence. 

According to Melin, the neighborhood is relatively safe despite an occasional car burglary. 

Police, firefighters and mayoral candidate Tom Bates attended the evening event at the Berkshire, discussing topics from disaster preparedness to parking to the fall’s upcoming elections. 

“It’s a great opportunity to interact with various neighborhood groups,” said David Orth, assistant fire chief for the city. Deploying all nine fire trucks to different spots throughout Berkeley, the department instructed both young and old on fire safety tips. September and October constitute the city’s fire season, a major concern for residents in the hills of east Berkeley, according to Orth. 

Berkeley’s police department also participated in the crime awareness event. Beat officers attended neighborhood get-togethers listening to residents’ concerns. 

“It’s important for the community to feel some sort of empowerment. It’s a statement saying we’re not going to let our areas be victimized. I think it’s important to make that statement,” said Harris. 

Phil Guba, an 81-year-old resident of the Berkshire and clerical volunteer for the police department, said the city faces continued drug and crime issues while adjusting to a recent wave of retirements on the force. 

National Night Out involves more than 9,400 communities from all 50 states, U.S. territories, Canadian cities and military bases around the world. In all, 31 million people took part in the event, according to the National Association of Town Watch.