The Sherwood Police Department in Sherwood, Oregon, surprised some community members last week when they announced Hide and Seek With a Cop, a modified game of tag billed as an “interactive” social event in which children 12 and older participate as adults, do their best to escape armed police officers.
Public Information Officer Paul Mattson III defended the event when Oregon Live asked about the backlash the department received.
“There will always be people who will have something negative to say,” Mattson told the outlet on Tuesday, Oct. 22. “It’s really just us trying to create a fun, interactive event for our community and for people outside of our community to join us and spend some time with us.”
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The event, which was first advertised on the Sherwood Police Department’s Facebook account on Oct. 15, is “essentially your only chance to get away from the police without consequence,” the department said in a statement.
hide and seek halloween night with a cop.
Sherwood Police Department/Facebook
According to Mattson, the department is known for doing community gatherings — such as Star Wars– themed “Coffee with The Force,” which encourages residents to dress up as Stormtroopers and Mandalorians to meet officers for a cup of coffee at a local coffee shop.
However, commenters on the Sherwood Police Department’s Facebook post didn’t seem to think that running away from armed officers after dark at 7pm had the same ring to it to begin with.
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“So you didn’t think about how traumatizing the interactions with the cops with guns were? You set this as a game? Have you actually tried community outreach and sensitivity training?” wrote one user.
Another person added: “Intriguing idea, but I don’t think citizens are more afraid of being killed by cops than zombies or serial killers is what you think.”
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One user said they were “torn” about the idea because “my nephew was shot by the police during a mental health screening and it’s hard not to be afraid of the uniform anymore.”
Still, Mattson tells Oregon Live that Sherwood police not carrying their weapons would defeat the goal of helping community members overcome their fear of interacting with officers as they are.
In a statement to KOIN, Mattson said, “Sometimes being in uniform can scare people or make people feel uncomfortable. And when they see us, you know, at community events or on social media, it really humanizes us and creates that community engagement.”
Hide and Seek With a Cop is scheduled for Oct. 30, the day before Halloween, at Stella Olsen Memorial Park.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education