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WINSTON-SALEM – The Pecan Ridge neighborhood grilled up hamburgers and hot dogs Tuesday, but there were some special guests at the cookout. Winston-Salem police officers and firefighters were invited along for National Night Out.

"The police department comes in and it gives us an opportunity to meet more people, talk to more people on a regular basis, hear some of their complaints that they may not call us about, but since we're right here they'll tell us about." Winston-Salem Police Chief Scott Cunningham said.

Overall crime in Winston-Salem is down 8 percent compared to this time last year, and violent crime is down 18 percent.

Mayor Allen Joines says community involvement is part of the reason.

"Communities that have a very active community watch program, I think you can see the impact on reducing crime rates," Joines said.

And the neighborhood plans to continue to work .

"As a community, we have to work together. We can't pull apart, we have to work with the police, and we have to work with our own neighbors, and they have been great," Claudette Bailey, a Pecan Ridge resident, said.

An estimated 37 million people across the country participated in National Night Out celebrations.