Every year across the country, police departments invite communities out for a night of family-fun activities. It's part of a national effort to build trust, which is especially crucial after this past year.

National Night Out was held Tuesday night.

It was an opportunity for the community to "see what we do, get to know us as human beings," according to Capt. Collins Coyne, with the New Rochelle Police Department.

National Night Out is especially significant in 2021, after a year of Black Lives Matter protests, calls to defund the police all strained trust between police officers and the community.

"There's a lot of violence, and this day is very special for the community to come together," said Sage Vanderhorst, with the New Rochelle Youth Bureau.

"Trust in the police department and fire department is an absolute must, and that's important to me, especially having a young daughter," said Cindy Byrne, a New Rochelle parent.

"A lot of the tension is because people don't know each other. People have not had to interact with each other unless it's a very difficult and tense situation," Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said.

National Night Out was canceled last year due to the pandemic.