MODESTO, Calif. — The Stockton and Modesto communities rallied together in 2018 for National Night Out, and their efforts have resulted in some national recognition.
Stockton and Modesto are the largest cities in the area to have placed in the top 10 rankings for National Night Out awards from the National Association of Town Watch.
Stockton ranked at ninth nationally for cities above 300,000, and Modesto ranked fifth for city populations between 100,000 to 300,000. During a recent Modesto City Council meeting, Modesto officials said they ranked number one in California.
Other Northern California areas getting recognition for their 2018 Night Out events include:
El Dorado County -
Rookie of the Year
Placerville -
#3 for populations of 5,000 to 15,000
Suisun City -
#43 for populations of 15,000 to 50,000
Turlock -
#17 for populations of 50,000 to 100,000
Placer County -
#20 for populations of 100,000 to 300,000
So what do those awards mean?
To be considered for an NATW award, these cities all had to provide entry letters, agendas that outline the plans for the area, a post-project report, and be a member of the NATW.
Awards are given to areas excelled in the following criteria:
- Quality of the NNO program- including impact on the community and its results
- Extent of citizen involvement- including the participating from neighborhoods and event activities
- Law enforcement involvement- meaning that police and sheriff's department go out into those communities for the event
- Media and promotional campaigns- the extent and quality of print and broadcast news coverage
- Special events - uniqueness and effectiveness of events for NNO
- Post project report - reports that include narratives, results, participation, agendas, photos, and video
- Miscellaneous - participation, timeliness of submissions, involvement of utilities, support of sponsors and themes, and involving other cities, towns, and counties.