The National Night Out festivities last August were called off due to COVID-19, and a reconvening of that fun night in October isn’t happening either, but Boston Police Department (BPD) officials didn’t want to neglect giving out a kudos to neighborhood groups that have gone above and beyond.
This year, BPD officials came together for a small presentation last Friday afternoon to the Friends of the Charlestown Navy Yard (FCNY) for all they’ve done to unite the community during the pandemic.
“In March of 2020, Boston was faced with a worldwide pandemic that shut down almost every aspect of life,” said Kerry Ryan, BPD director of Community Engagement. “Our country was forced to limit their social interactions and work remotely from home until further notice. The FCNY did not miss a beat when this happened. Not only did they quickly move to hosting meetings via Zoom, they thought of creative ways to keep residents connected and informed during an extremely uncertain and scary time. They used their e-mail chain to highlight their neighbors and business owners to showcase their incredible contributions to their communities. They hosted a photo contest and various speaker series to keep residents engaged and updated on a variety of topics. For these reasons and more we’d like to honor the FCNY with the 2020 Crime Watch of the Year.”
FCNY President Michael Parker said he and the group were humbled by the award, and he said he was inspired by the boots-on-the-ground work that so many organizations in Charlestown pulled off in the pandemic surge of April and May. He said it was a community award.
“Friends of the Charlestown Navy Yard is honored to receive this recognition from the BPD and the women and men who strive to do their job better every day,” he said. “This is truly a community award. There are so many other organizations and individuals who have done so much during these challenging times who are more deserving, Bunker Hill Associates, Kennedy Center, Harvest On the Vine, Turn It Around, Boys and Girls Club, Charlestown Y, Charlestown Mothers, Boston Resiliency Fund, teachers, health care professionals, news providers, frontline workers, clergy, businesses, and everyone else among us. Charlestown is one of Boston’s finest communities and Friends of the Navy Yard is happy to do its small part along with everyone else.”
Ryan said they will strive to host their annual National Night Out next summer, and at the time they will have a special slide show to honor those that won in 2020 and weren’t able to celebrate in the traditional way.