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ALBANY, GA --
The Dougherty County Police is preparing for their fifth annual National Night Out to raise crime and drug awareness.

The free event starts at 5 p.m. on Thursday at the Radium Springs Middle School and will offer food, face painting, plenty of giveaways and more.

Thanks to the many sponsors, DCP says they are able to give away 700 bags of school supplies to children preparing to start school next week.

Participants will be able to enjoy free food from places like Little Caesar's and Red Lobster and even win gift cards to their favorite restaurants.

For the younger crowd, there will be bouncy houses and giveaways that include bicycles and sports supplies like basketballs. DCP says while this will be a fun night, it carries an important message.

"The main thing is to let the criminals know that the neighborhoods are uniting with the first responders and they're fighting back against crime," said Sergeant Chad Kirkpatrick.

While the national event's date is August 7th, Sergeant Chad Kirkpatrick says local law enforcement wanted to be able to give the school supplies away to children in need before the first day of classes on Monday.