The McKinney Police Department received national recognition for its participation in the 2015 National Night Out program by the National Association of Town Watch. This year, the department placed fifth in the state of Texas and 17th nationwide.

National Night Out is a way to improve police and community partnerships and help keep the city safer. Last August, the MPD hosted its annual National Night Out event and featured 31 different block parties with more than 2,000 participants focused on bringing together the community and police department.

“McKinney has one of the top participation rates in the country and this event provides a great opportunity to get out and meet your neighbors,” said McKinney Police Chief Greg Conley in a news release. “We are very pleased to receive this award and be recognized across the nation for the great work happening here in McKinney.”

The National Night Out awards recognize 12 categories of programs throughout the nation for their participation and organization of National Night Out parties. Awards are based on the quality of the  program, citizen and police involvement as well as the promotional campaign leading up to the event.