Milford police joined thousands of other North American police departments on Aug. 2 when they held a National Night Out. Milford’s event, in Emerson Park, was relaxed as police cooked barbecue, demonstrated their vehicles, pitched softballs to children and chatted with parents and grandparents. National Night Out was started more than 30 years ago by the National Associa­tion of Town Watch to promote community-police partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie.