SPOKANE, Wash. — The Spokane Police Department sponsored a team of four teenagers to play at Hoopfest for their first time.
The teens participated through the department’s Youth and Police Initiative.
It’s a program for at-risk youth in local high schools.
“For whatever reason, at some point in their life they had a negative experience with police officers. This is just a way to work through that and get to know us at a different level,” said Jennifer Deruwe, one of the program’s leaders.
Rorry Carmel, Isaac Allen, JJ Loeak and Isaac Jonathan were the four teens to participate. They’ve been with the program for about four months.
“They’re there for you, they support you, help you,” Carmel said. “That motivated us a lot.”
“We’re really just trying to break down those barriers and create honest, open conversations,” Deruwe said. “It really helps those relationships so that at the end of the day, it’s one of trust and not one of adversity.”
This is the department’s second year sponsoring teens at Hoopfest.