KINGSTON, R.I.- November 1, 2017- Do you want to be able to tell your friends you dodged the cops?

You’ll get your opportunity on Friday, Nov. 3 from 6 until 10 p.m. when the University of Rhode Island Police Department holds its 3rd annual Dodgeball Tournament at Keaney Gymnasium, 85 Keaney Road, Kingston.

Teams of six are invited to register on-site and engage in some friendly competition with the campus police. The event is free and open to the public.

In its first year the tournament drew a crowd of close to 200, a number that URI police hope to exceed this year. Hot dogs and water will be provided and prizes, including URI apparel, will be awarded to winning teams.

“We view the dodgeball tournament as an informal way to interact with students and have some fun,” said officer Paul Hanrahan. “Events like these are part of our community policing efforts and serve to cultivate relationships among students, police, and the rest of the URI community.”

In addition to the URI community, the Narragansett and Brown police departments have been invited to participate.

“If we get to know each other in an informal setting, the relationships between the police and other members of the community will be based on personal interaction, not mistrust and suspicion,” said URI Police Maj. Michael Jagoda. “The police are as much a part of the campus as Student Affairs and Athletics, and like those departments, we want to be successful, too. The way to do that is by working with and getting to know people in fun ways.”

Olivia Ross, an intern in the Marketing and Communications Department at URI and public relations major, wrote this press release.