Charleston's west side, like many communities, has seen its fair share of crime.
The National Night Out Against Crime is designed to encourage people of all ages to come together get to know each other, and get to know the police in their neighborhood.
Police say it's always nice to get out and meet the people they protect.
Corporal Robert Brown of the Charleston Police Department said, "Each little kid speaks to me, they come and talk to me every day that I'm over here. It just so happens to be National Night Out on Crime, but normally we have a basketball tournament over here. We're supporting a community."
Police officers, firefighters, and families all came together to eat some food, cool down, listen to music and make a difference.
One child at the event said, "It's a lot of fun because you get to spend some time with your family, just you and your family."
That, according to the organizer of this event, is what it's all about.
"We don't want our kids to be afraid of the police, we want them to know they are their friends. The younger they are, the better off they will be as they grow older," said Roberta Hill-Smith.
Hill-Smith told 13NEWS she's looking forward to next year's event to be even bigger and better.
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