Roxborough was one of more than 15,000 communities nationwide to participate in the 28th annual National Night Out. According to Temple criminologists Jerry Ratcliffe and Ralph Taylor, it is this collaboration between community and police that is the essence of effective policing. "Events of this nature tend to be successful where the contact level [between community and police] is kept up," says Ratcliffe. Taylor says that while it is difficult to gauge fully the effectiveness of events like National Night Out, the value lies in the event's symbolic functions. "It's not so much crime prevention as it is networking for community efficacy —where community residents look out for each other — and in a way that's long-lasting."