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Building relationships one game at a time
(by Megan Burrow - April 15, 2008)
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Staff Photo By Megan Burrow
Children get ready for a game of dodge ball at the
Westwood
Community Center . Since last November, members of the Westwood Police Department have been coming to the center every Thursday from 3:30 to 5 p.m. to play games with area children and build the trust they say is vital for good community policing.
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On a recent Thursday afternoon, the
Westwood
Community Center was filled with the sound of children’s voices and balls flying across the gymnasium. The weekly game of dodge ball was getting underway. Some of the players wore jeans and tee shirts; others were in uniform.
Since last November, members of the Westwood Police Department have been volunteering their time to come to the center every Thursday from 3:30 to 5 p.m. and play games with area children, building the trust they say is vital for good community policing.
The free program, which runs weekly throughout the school year, was started by three officers: Matt McClutchy, Anthony Piccinich, and Niko Pieratos. All three are borough residents who have children of their own. After the experience of working in the D.A.R.E. program, the officers decided to take the philosophy of community policing one step further.
With the help of Police Chief Frank Regino, Jim Gwynn, the head of Westwood Recreation, civilian dispatcher Scott Morrissey, and resident George May, the officers began playing basketball, wiffle ball, kick ball, nerf football, and dodge ball with neighborhood children. The children range in age from 5 to 12 years old, with the older children acting as peer leaders. From the first meeting when about 20 children showed up, the program has blossomed to about 80 participants each week.
McClutchy described the program as “mutually beneficial.” While their children are under the watchful eye of police officers, the parents are able to run errands and enjoy some free time.
Pieratos is optimistic that the time spent together will spark a lasting bond between the officers and children. “If we build a good relationship with them at an early age, they will get to trust us,” he says. “The more positive influence we have now, the better it will be when they’re older.”
Regino hopes the program brings the Police Department closer to the community. He stated that the officers’ willingness to volunteer their time was “commendable” and described the program as a “chance for us to have a positive influence on the children of this community.”
The program is a hit with parents as well.
Maria Matarazzo, a parent whose 10-year-old son often participates, said she thinks the relationships the children are developing now will help them “understand that the police are real people and have greater respect for them [police officers] when they’re older.”
“There is everything to gain from having children get to know the police,” echoed Denise Gow, a resident with a 9-year-old daughter in attendance. “It’s hard to see who is having more fun, the police or the children.”
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