Basketball helps to build community with local law enforcement

A large group of Muncie children had a run-in with local law enforcement last Tuesday, but instead of the streets, they handled things on the basketball court.

This Tuesday, members of Muncie PD, the Delaware county Sheriff’s department, and the Muncie Fire Department, all came together to play Kickball and Basketball with the Muncie community thanks to an event hosted by the Southside Muncie Neighborhood Association.

Courtney Marsh, president of the Southside Muncie Neighborhood Association, talks about the purpose of this event.

“It’s just a way to encourage kids to come out and meet these individuals in a different way than what some of them might typically be introduced to them to. Just a good way to come out, have a good time and have some fun,” Marsh said.

Sgt. Amy Kessler, a member of the Delaware County Sheriff’s Department, says the department looks forward to this event each year, citing its importance to not only the community but also local law enforcement.

“These community events, that are put on by our wonderful neighborhood associations, allow us to come out and kind of let our guards down,” Kessler said. “A lot of our officers won’t be armed, we’re in plain clothes, we’re going to play basketball.

The neighborhood association hopes that this event and others like it, can be used to help forge relationships between the community and those that serve it.

“We’re going to interact with kids on a different level, and I think that’s really important in today’s society for them to see us as people, and us to be on their level and it’s a beautiful thing,” Kessler said.

This event is held annually, and the Southside Muncie Neighborhood Association hopes that this event can continue to build connections for years to come.

Contact Eli Grasham with comments at eli.grasham@bsu.edu.