ALBANY — The city of Albany is preparing for the annual National Night Out to be held the evening of Aug. 1 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Thirty-five blocks will be closed off around town. Tables will be set up with food and beverages, basketball hoops will be moved to the middle of the street, kids will race down the block on their bicycles and police officers, along with other city officials and employees, will come by, dropping off Domino’s pizzas.

“Our goal every year is to sign up 35 blocks and we have met that goal,” said Sgt. Dave Belman of the Albany Police Department. He said 1,062 adults and 538 children have registered for the event.

“We try not to go over 35 because with our small agency size that’s about as many blocks as we can accommodate,” Belman said.

National Night Out is a nationwide program where police and other local city agencies and employees as well as elected officials participate in “block parties” around town. It originated on the East Coast in 1984 in response to then rising crime rates as a way to connect police to their communities.

The event has encouraged a form of “community policing,” a crime-fighting strategy that attempts to get patrol officers out of their cars and have them get to know their constituents.

Albany has been participating since 2009.

“It’s great going to different blocks and meeting different people that you talk to either by email or the phone and you meet them for the first time,” Belman said.

Registration for this year’s event is now closed. Police will close off participating blocks to cars. Fire trucks will park on some blocks giving children and adults a chance to check them out. Teams of police officers along with elected officials and city employees will drop by for 10 to 15 minutes. McGruff the Crime Dog is scheduled to appear as well.

“He’s still around and he still looks good,” Belman said.

Block parties are encouraged to be creative. Dad bands have been known to set up in front of the family garage and play for the neighborhood.

Other local sponsors are Target and Sprouts Farmers Market. Teams will bring goody bags to the blocks as well as pizza.

“It’s where the small town citizens get to come out and paint the town safe,” Belman said.