They came for hot dogs and hamburgers, bounce houses and bands, dancing and DJs. But the thing that brought thousands of people around Suffolk together on Tuesday was a shared desire to reduce crime in their communities.

Suffolk’s annual celebration of National Night Out was a grand success, despite the rain earlier in the day that threatened to wash out the festivities. Once the skies cleared, cool temperatures ensured that those attending any of the dozens of events around the city would be able to enjoy themselves to the fullest.

That’s a big part of National Night Out — having fun with friends and getting to know neighbors. But the most important thing is sending a message that folks in Suffolk will not sit quietly and watch their neighborhoods be destroyed by criminals.

“It’s important we work together to keep our young people away from gangs,” Commonwealth’s Attorney C. Phillips Ferguson said during a kickoff celebration at the Suffolk Visitor Center Pavilion. “Together, we can give at-risk youth our time, attention and alternatives to a gang lifestyle.”

The pavilion was one of more than 30 locations where folks turned out to enjoy the evening’s events. Other locations attracted crowds ranging from a few dozen to thousands. Each of those events was designed around the theme “Jump On It,” which referred to the organizers’ desire that communities jump on the bandwagon for the event.

Judging from the high level of participation, that’s exactly what happened.

Suffolk has a proud history of National Night Out participation, having won national awards among cities of similar size in previous years. This year’s event — and the excitement surrounding it — should give the city plenty of reason to remain proud.

Now, the folks who took part in the festivities need to move forward with the relationships they forged on Tuesday, keeping in mind their common desire to fight back against crime.