Once again, the crowds were good, the gatherings plentiful, and a spirit of camaraderie was in the air.

Oakdale Police Department served as the organizing agency for the Tuesday, Aug. 5 National Night Out in the city, working with a number of different community groups and residents.

Last year, Jerry Ramar attended as the Oakdale Police Chief; this year he took part as the Oakdale City Manager. But regardless of title, he said it’s a great night for the city.

“National Night Out was a tremendous success this year. Our officers had a great time connecting with residents and visiting neighborhood gatherings. It was an opportunity to demonstrate that we are not just serving the community, we are part of it,” Ramar said.

First responders including police, fire and ambulance personnel are typically all in attendance to share food and conversation in a relaxed, fun atmosphere.

The main location was at Burchell Park, 1401 Burchell Hill Drive with the National Night Out event running from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

There were a variety of booths, first responder vehicles on display, food, demonstrations, giveaways and more at the Burchell Park site.

Also hosted this year were smaller Night Out gatherings at Belmare Senior Living; Golden Empire Apartments; the neighborhood of Laurel and California; the neighborhood of East G Street and South Maag Avenue; Oak Leaf Meadows Apartments; Tesoro; and Carmel Ranch.

“We truly appreciate the hospitality and support shown by our community and we look forward to building on that connection year after year,” added Ramar.

He also pointed to this year being “especially meaningful” as it was the first one for new Police Chief Jason Grogan, who officially took over that job on Aug. 4.

“He was impressed by the turnout and the overwhelming support from residents,” Ramar noted.