The Police Department announced it is participating in the annual National Night Out program, joining thousands of agencies in cities and towns across the country holding the event on Aug. 7 as a way to build ties within the community, and help open lines of communication between neighborhoods and the police. The local gathering will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. at Goodwill Park, and will coincide with a concert by a local teen rock band, Blackwell, as part of the town Arts Council’s summer concert series. Interactive activities with police officers will be offered, and some of the department’s equipment will be on display. In addition, residents will have the opportunity to discuss issues ranging from crime prevention to victim and witness issues with members of the department. National Night Out is sponsored by a nonprofit crime-prevention organization, the National Association of Town Watch, according to the event’s website, which says it aims to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, generate support for anticrime programs, and strengthen neighborhood spirit.