Communities in New Jersey celebrated National Night Out Tuesday.

The event – which takes place every Aug 2. – had nearly 200 towns celebrating in New Jersey .

The city of Newark got its festivities started around 2 p.m. with the purpose of creating a friendlier atmosphere between law enforcement and the corresponding community.

"The way things are today, in society we need to bridge the gap between society and law enforcement,” said Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Frage. “These nights out are where we're sitting there having a conversation, meeting us, getting to see us, know who is actually patrolling and working in the community.”

Since its start in 1984, National Night Out was meant to promote safety and comradery within the community.