The first week of October is one of our favorite times of year. The weather begins to cool and we are usually preparing to gather with you — our community — for the annual National Night Out hosted by the University of Texas Police at Houston (UT Police) and held on the grounds of UT Housing.

This year, in accordance with state and federal guidelines on social distancing, we have decided to cancel the event. We must do our part in keeping you safe amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Your safety is always our top priority.

Our police officers truly love this event because it provides an opportunity to engage with you outside of the interactions where they are called for assistance. As we all know, those calls come to us when you are in distress or you’ve been the victim of criminal activity.

We will certainly miss the laughter, good times and giveaways that we’ve all come to love during National Night Out, but we are hopeful to see you again in October 2021. As we do our part to stop the spread of COVID-19, we ask that you also remain vigilant in social distancing as well as wearing masks in public spaces.

In lieu of our face-to-face gathering, we hope that you will join us for one or more of our upcoming virtual safety classes. Visit our website for a full list of classes and for details on how to register.

You can also reach us anytime at our non-emergency number (713) 792-2890. For emergencies, dial 9-1-1. Questions about class offerings should be directed to Community Outreach at utphoutreach@mdanderson.org.