Photo: Madison Rogers (WBZ)
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Over 100 Boston youth got to shoot some hoops and shoot the breeze with Suffolk County law enforcement and officials at UMass Boston Wednesday.
The Suffolk County District Attorney's Office hosted its annual Basketball for Peace event, which saw around 120 kids aged 12 to 15 lace up their sneakers and play in a basketball tournament.
The event was designed for kids to build relationships amongst each other and with local law enforcement, both on and off the court.
"Bring kids together, right?" Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden said to WBZ NewsRadio. "They’re gonna know each other afterwards, hopefully, and just let them know that we care about them, give them an opportunity to interact with and meet us."
"I’m just hoping to have fun, really," one kid said. "I don’t really care about winning or losing."
The end of the tournament saw kids play against a team of police officers and people from the DA's Office, including Deputy Chief of Investigators Michael Roberts.
"We really think it is a stellar event to get to know kids," Roberts said. "They get to know us in an atmosphere outside the courtroom and not the courtroom. These are kids that a lot of them come from at-risk communities, so it’s an opportunity for them to get to know law enforcement."
This year was Hayden's second annual Basketball for Peace event since he took office in 2022.
WBZ's Madison Rogers (@MadisonWBZ) reports.
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