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The Sherwood, Oregon Police Department is offering a new Halloween event called "Hide and Seek With a Cop," where armed, uniformed officers will try to tag participants as they run through a wooded park at night. Officer Paul Mattson III explained that the event is meant to be a fun, community-building activity, similar to their previous events like “Coffee with The Force” (Star Wars Themed) and bowling nights. The idea has sparked mixed reactions on social media, with some praising the creativity and others expressing concerns about safety, joking that the event sounds "life-endangering."
Mattson emphasizing that the police department is simply trying to create a fun and interactive experience. The event is a modified version of tag, with participants running through the park, trying to avoid being tagged by officers. Those who succeed will receive a prize, and participants must sign a liability waiver before joining the game, which will take place after sunset and is open to people aged 12 and older.
Critics have questioned the safety of officers being armed during the event, but Mattson reassured that the officers’ guns would remain in their holsters, just as they would during any other interaction. He added that the purpose of the event is to help community members overcome their fear of interacting with officers in uniform, stating, "Events like this build those relationships and humanize us as an agency and as officers."