Officers from the Reston District Station gathered for roll call on Tuesday, Aug. 4, then fanned out to National Night Out events across the community, joining residents for an evening the Fairfax County Police Department called one of its biggest annual outreach efforts.

County-wide, more than 140 neighborhoods hosted block parties, cookouts and community-police gatherings, according to an FCPD recap published Wednesday. The department said thousands of residents turned out.

Officers took turns in dunk tanks, kicked soccer balls with kids, shared meals and answered questions from families at events throughout the county. FCPD Chief K. Davis also made the rounds, starting with an ice cream social at The Mather in Tysons before visiting other sites.

The department said on X that Reston District officers were heading out to meet neighbors, answer questions and enjoy the evening together.

National Night Out is held the first Tuesday each August. The nationwide campaign is aimed at strengthening ties between police and the neighborhoods they patrol, giving residents a chance to meet officers in a relaxed setting that the department said builds trust year-round.

As we reported July 30, no specific Reston venue had been announced ahead of the event, though FCPD's events blog confirmed the Reston District was among those participating county-wide. No 2026 attendance figures for Reston-area events have been released.

Last year's Reston event was held at Hunters Woods, co-hosted by the Reston Community Center and the Hunters Woods Neighborhood Coalition. MPO Derek Brown, the station's crime prevention officer, and MPO Jenette Post, its community outreach officer, participated alongside Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn.

"The idea is to bring the whole community together in events like this to celebrate what we have here in Reston," Alcorn said at the August 2025 gathering.