[08/02/02]Local residents accustomed to the antics of Doug Arp as a prelude to the Annual National Night Out Against Crime celebration will not be disappointed this year as the retired Vicksburg police officer prepares to be put out with the trash.

Arp plans to climb into a trash Dumpster at Pemberton and Halls Ferry roads Monday to help bring attention to the fight against crime. Because of health problems, Arp has cut this year’s exploits from a week to two days.

National Night Out involves more than 9,700 communities and 32 million people nationwide. This year’s event will be from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m. Tuesday with the goal of bringing neighborhoods and people together and having them look out for one another.

The theme this year will be “Giving Crime & Drugs a Going Away Party.” Activities will include block parties, cookouts, neighborhood visits by local law enforcement and flashlight walks.

Although Arp retired from the police department in June after 25 years, he said he still wants to be a part of National Night Out.

“It’s so much a part of me and I do enjoy doing it,” Arp said.

Over the past 11 years, Arp, 53, has spent some of his vacation living on a billboard for a week, in a hole in the ground, in a fountain, in a suspended car, in a garbage receptacle, in a phone booth, in a dunking booth, in a wrecked car, in an armored vehicle and, last year, in an upside-down van.

Although his wife, Ginny, frowned upon it, Doug Arp said he couldn’t resist.

“People know me by this,” Arp said.