The National Association of Town Watch announced this week that Arlington received first place in its 2024 National Night Out Awards program, which recognizes communities for outstanding participation and engagement during the annual event.

This marks the second consecutive year -- and the fourth time in the past five years (2020, 2021, 2023, 2024) -- that Arlington has taken top honors for cities with a population of 300,000+. Arlington has placed in the Top 3 nationally every year since 2015.

More than 175 Arlington neighborhoods, organizations, and businesses hosted National Night Out parties this year. The goal of NNO is to bring together neighbors, community leaders, police, firefighters, and other city employees in a fun, relaxed environment so they can forge lasting relationships that will help strengthen the community.

 “National Night Out is more than just an annual event here in Arlington," said Chief of Police Al Jones. "It's a community tradition that our residents, police department, city employees, business owners, and other stakeholders take great pride in. It shows that our community wants to engage with their public servants and that our public servants want to engage with their community. We're incredibly grateful to receive this recognition once again. It's all because of our employees and community members who continue to embrace National Night Out and everything it stands for."

 The awards are based on a variety of factors including overall quality of the event, community engagement, and law enforcement involvement. Here is a complete list of the 2024 award winners for cities with a population of 300,000+. 

1. Arlington, TX
2. Orlando, FL
3. Chesterfield County, VA
4. Minneapolis, MN
5. Columbus, OH
6. St. Paul, MN
7. Louisville-Jefferson County Metro, KY

Learn more about the NNO awards by visiting the National Association of Town Watch website.

Check out the video above to view highlights from NNO 2024 in Arlington.