SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The South Bend Police Department and the community got together on Tuesday for a chance to hang out and get to know each other.

National Night Out in South Bend is one of many similar events around the country aimed at building positive relationships between communities and police departments.

National Night Out also serves as an opportunity to speak out against crime.

At the event in South Bend there were demonstrations, snacks, and conversations with officers.

“We know that there has been a number of people shot in the city there have been a number of other burglaries or crimes that have taken place and we want people to know that they can trust us and talk to us and this is just another step in building those relationships,” Ken Garcia said, who is the Digital Communications and Media Liaison for the South Bend Police Department.

Around 5 hundred people were at the event and an estimated 38 million people attended National Night Out events nationwide.