LaGRANGE —The LaGrange Police Department will be out in force Tuesday night meeting the community, playing games with kids and sharing a serious message.

The department is hosting its inaugural National Night Out event in the parking lot behind Chick-Fil-A on Commerce Avenue. The theme is crime and drug prevention, said Senior Officer Jim Davison.

The event will have fall festival-type games for children, including a dunking booth and a fire safety house through which children can crawl. There will be equipment displays from the National Guard, LaGrange Fire Department, Air Evac and more.

The Troup County Sheriff’s Office, Department of Natural Resources, local businesses and churches will also have booths there with free giveaways and informational material.

National Night Out is sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch. The event takes place in 16,000 communities in all 50 states, U.S. territories, Canadian cities and military bases around the world, according to NATW.

The LPD’s National Night Out will start at 5 p.m. and will end at 9 p.m. It is free and open to the public.