Cathedral City and Desert Hot Springs stand up against crime

Two Coachella Valley cities are participating in the National Night Out crime and drug prevention event today.
In Cathedral City and Desert Hot Springs, there will be public safety vehicle displays, information about crime prevention, free food and activities for children, among other things.
Residents are encouraged to participate in activities to strengthen ties between the community and its law enforcement and fire agencies. The nation- wide event is designed to generate support for anti-crime programs, such as Neighborhood Watch.
Cathedral City’s event is 4 to 8 p.m. at Big League Dreams Sports Park, 33-700 Date Palm Drive. The Cathedral City police and fire departments will display equipment, and there will be information booths, children’s activities and an exhibition softball game between the Cathedral City and Palm Springs police officers’ associations.
Desert Hot Springs’ event is 5 to 8 p.m. at Guy J. Tedesco Park, 12800 W. Arroyo Drive. Raffles, a visit from McGruff the crime dog and P.C. the patrol car, children’s activities, live music and vehicle displays are planned. People can get disaster preparedness information and other information, according to the police department.
The city of Indio is planning a National Night Out event later this month, Indio police spokesman Ben Guitron said.
National Night Out is sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch and will involve more than 15,000 communities in the United States, U.S. territories, Canadian cities and military bases.