Kian Ahmadi photo
Team Yale triumphant after Thursday's tournament.
Hip-hop music blasted and dozens of police officers and community members watched as Team Yale glided across the Goffe Street Park basketball courts, swiftly defeating Team True Blue 17 – 1 to win the latest annual “Cops & Ballers” tournament.
That was the scene Thursday late afternoon at the newly repainted and mural-decorated courts on Goffe Street.
Team Yale, comprised of a group of students from Gateway Community College and Yale Police Department Police Officer Matt Franco, rushed to accept their trophy from New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson after emerging victorious at the end of the 4th annual competition organized by the New Haven Police Department (NHPD) and Project Longevity. That event is designed to bring police officers and community members together in a fun, physical, collaborative, and competitive environment — building bridges over layups and jump shots.
ATF officers and city teens take it to the courts.
The sun beamed down all afternoon on the vibrant red, black, green, and eyeball-designed courts.
Project Longevity, the event’s sponsor and a longtime local violence prevention organization, came prepared with drinks, snacks, and a pizza truck to feed the tired, young athletes.
Officers representing the NHPD, YPD, federal Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, and Firearms, and the FBI all participated in the games.
They donned colorful “Cops & Ballers” tees and joined together with the young athletes, many of whom came from nearby Hillhouse High School, to form teams of seven people each and play a series of 3 on 3 games.
While the tournament was open to attendees ages 16 and up, younger children were in attendance too, rolling pizza dough with the truck’s cooks, blowing bubbles from the sidelines, and playing their own casual games between the competitive rounds.
Event organizers Kelli Jacobson, Ronald Huggins, Police Chief Karl Jacobson, Kate Gunning, and Lt. Derek Werner
To the event’s emcee, city youth services official Ronald Huggins — affectionately referred to by many as Huggy-Bear — “basketball is a common language” that allows youth and cops to interact in a positive way.
Project Longevity Statewide Coordinator Kate Gunnings echoed that sentiment by emphasizing that New Haven’s embrace of community policing provides these kinds of fun, safe spaces for the community.
City police Lt. Derek Werner noted that this year’s turnout exceeded previous years and said he hopes to host the Cops and Ballers tournament more frequently.
After finishing up his last game for the day, Avery Sutton, a rising junior at Hillhouse, said he felt no tension with the law enforcement playing and that the games were “all about fun.”
A positive community event with community mingling with law enforcement having fun together and getting along and getting to know each other. I hope we will see more community events like this one, as they help form trust with the community and bolster community policing efforts.