National Night Out events draw big crowds throughout the suburbs

Elgin police officer Edwin Alva shows how low he can go, much to the delight of Celia Lopez, right, during National Night Out festivities in Elgin on Tuesday. The Elgin Police Department hosted eight celebrations around the city. Rick West/rwest@dailyherald.com

Officer Edwin Alva was joined by over a thousand friends and neighbors who flooded Spring Street in downtown Elgin on Tuesday in one of eight National Night Out events organized by officers from the Elgin Police Department.

Elgin joined a list of suburbs in celebrating the event, held each year on the first Tuesday in August as an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie.

It was Alva's fifth time organizing a party on the street where he serves as a resident offi