National Night Out launches Charlotte code enforcement project in Hidden Valley
Community residents and public officials came out at Northeast Seventh-day Adventist Church Tuesday to celebrate their 20th annual National Night Out, which unveiled a new Code Connect program to connect residents with resources around Charlotte.
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National Night Out is hosted throughout the first Tuesday in August across the United States to support public services such as law enforcement, emergency responders and governmental agencies. Hidden Valley hosts some of the largest celebrations, bringing out 300 to 400 people annually according to neighborhood association president Marjorie Parker.
This year’s National Night Out featured the Code Connect program, which is a campaign established by the city’s Neighborhood Matching Grant program to connect residents with code enforcement information in English and Spanish and other community resources like neighborhood meetings and city workshops while helping reduce neighborhood code violations. The Code Connect program uses yard signs with QR codes, customized postcards and community workshops to help residents understand code enforcement effectively with easily accessible information.
City officials plan to expand the Code Connect program to all of Charlotte, with a city community calendar that can be shared in over 70 languages.
Tuesday’s kick-off began at 5 p.m., with representatives from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office, Charlotte Fire Department and other city and nonprofit staff
Parker thanked residents for arriving, and encouraged celebrating and connecting with needed resources that were available in the room.
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Erika Velez, a Spanish interpreter from Hidden Valley Elementary School, told The Charlotte Observer Hidden Valley’s demographics are changing.
“It brings me joy because I have seen a huge growth in the past couple of years since I’ve been in Hidden Valley Elementary School,” said Velez. “It gives me a sense of purpose in being able to be the person that’s able to be the bridge, so that they can have the resources needed, just like everyone else, so that they can have information and they could also.”
The event include a raffle, free food and drinks.
Local leaders such as Charlotte Mayor Robert Harrington, CMPD Chief of Police Estella D. Patterson, Charlotte Fire Chief Reginald T. Johnson and Sheriff Garry L. McFadden talked to residents about problems and concerns.
“I want you to know that community safety is important to me. That you are safe in your neighborhoods and the places that you are,” Patterson told the audience. “It is our job to make sure that you are safe. But even beyond that, for us to come together as a community, because the police cannot do it by ourselves. We really need your help.”
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