Dozens of police departments in the Hudson Valley took part in the annual National Night Out to improve relations with the public they protect.

Residents and officers gathered at New Rochelle Police Headquarters Tuesday for an evening filled with music, games and food. 

The annual National Night Out is a nationwide community-building campaign.

New Rochelle resident and NYPD officer Jose Torres made a point to take his kids to the event.

"It's a good opportunity for the community to come out to see us in another light and enjoy the time together,” he says.

Issues between police and mostly minority communities hit a breaking point in 2020 when Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd.

Since then, many departments in New York have reviewed policing policies, increased community patrolling and made it a point to improve their public relationships.

"We want to see the young people in the community look up to us again because I think across the board nationwide, we're missing that,” says Yonkers Police First Deputy Chief Joseph Monaco. 

This event is usually each department's largest outreach program of the year and another tool police use to bring people together under positive circumstances.

Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano says the city has seen an 80% drop in police complaints since implementing better policing practices over the last decade.

Here's a list of some of the events: