MI residents connect at National Night Out gatherings
Published 3:30 pm Wednesday, August 5, 2026
When Mercer Island Police Department Cpl. Bobby Jira arrived on the scene, residents were elated.
Jira first joined Islanders in the 2200 block of 70th Avenue Southeast for a group photo and then he spoke individually with some of the attendees on the evening of Aug. 4 — National Night Out (NNO).
Kristy Glaze’s abode was the site of one of 13 scheduled neighborhood gatherings across Mercer Island that night.
According to the city, the annual NNO event is “aimed at strengthening police-community partnerships, raising safety awareness and building a connected neighborhood.”
Host Glaze said that community building is crucial and she and her neighbors have jumped at the chance to get together on an early August summer night over the last five or so years. They enjoy dinner and each other’s company as the evening rolls on.
“In this day and age where everyone’s working so hard, you don’t get to know your neighbors very easily. Everyone’s rushing to and fro. So, I looked it up and said that would be a perfect way to do this,” she said.
The neighbors look out for each other, dog-sit for people on vacation, help out parents with rides for their kids and more. Everyone has gotten to know one another over time and NNO is another special night of fellowship.
Up the road stands the Mercer Island United Methodist Church, and its pastor John Go has hosted neighborhood meetings and gathered people at the church to discuss what they needed during a power outage in the past.
Go was on hand on NNO and cheerfully spoke with his neighbors throughout the bonding experience. He said that people are eager and hungry to be good neighbors and be part of solid communities.
“As a church pastor, I feel that church should be a part of the neighborhood and we wanted to be a good neighbor. Nothing religious and nothing political, but it’s just kind of human to human. We all long for kind of such an authentic relationship with one another. I think that’s where we can just make it a true community,” said Go, adding that he’s honored to be part of the camaraderie.
As Jira surveyed the scene, he said that visiting home parties on NNO is an ideal way for police officers to connect with the community.
“It’s very rare that people get to interact with police officers when it’s not a bad situation where they’re calling 911 for us to come help them. This is a great way to see us in a different light and be able to get to know who really our constituents are,” said Jira, adding that he enjoys seeing familiar faces and meeting new people who have moved to the Island.
On the safety-tip front, Jira encourages people to have a doorbell security camera and motion lights and make sure they lock their doors and utilize their alarm systems.
“We want to be here to be able to have them feel comfortable to ask any questions they want and just make a positive connection,” said Jira, noting that residents are asking questions about light rail since it opened on the Island on March 28.
Matt Peskin founded NNO in 1984 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it’s been going strong ever since.
According to its website, millions of neighbors participate in NNO across thousands of communities from all 50 states, U.S. territories and military bases worldwide. What started as Peskin’s idea of neighbors turning on their porch lights “has blossomed into a powerful national movement,” he said on the site.
Peskin added, “Seeing this mission embraced so wholeheartedly proves that when we choose unity over division, we build safer, stronger and more connected communities for everyone.”
