The Brick Township (New Jersey) Police Department (BTPD) has fielded a winning TEAM to support area youth and build community relations. An acronym for Teach, Educate, Aspire and Mentor, TEAM is a collaborative program involving the police and members of the community, including teachers, other youth clubs, local businesses, and faith-based groups.

TEAM: Teach, Educate, Aspire and Mentor

Launched in October 2021 to strengthen relationships between the police department and a community in which many young people were at-risk and in need of more after-school activities, TEAM was developed by BTPD Community Policing Unit Sergeant Jim Kelly with the backing of Chief James Riccio and the support of the Brick Municipal Alliance Committee (BMAC), a consortium of residents, local government staff, and other stakeholders.

BTPD announced the TEAM program at Unity Day, an event the department sponsored to bring the officers and the public together for music, games, food, and fun. Although five TEAM meetings were held soon afterward, the program was halted because of pandemic restrictions on gatherings. In the spring of 2022, when the restrictions eased, the program began anew with weekly after school meetings in the Maple Leaf Condominiums Clubhouse.

To get the ball rolling again, Sergeant Kelly reached out to Rodney Coursey, a community activist and owner of a concert promotion company called Garden State Hip Hop, for ideas about activities that were likely to engage the kids and teach important life lessons.

Along with two local pastors and three officers from the BTPD’s Community Policing Unit, Kelly and Coursey now meet with 15 to 20 boys and girls in fifth to eighth grade every Thursday. Earl Mosley, the school district's anti-bullying coordinator, also attends to lead discussions about resolving disputes and other topics related to the young people’s lives.

Because its goals are to foster relationships, inspire, and educate, the program includes a wide range of activities. These have included art projects led by a teacher from a nearby high school, African American and Latino heritage celebrations, and games that lead to discussions about life, such as one played with a conversation ball.

Activities That Foster Discussion and Relationships

Different kinds of questions, ranging from ‘Which ice cream flavor is your favorite?’ to ‘Have you ever felt fearful, and why?’ are written on the ball, which the kids roll to one another. If the child isn’t comfortable answering the question, they can roll it again and answer a question on the other side.

Said Brandi White, the BMAC Coordinator who participates in these meetings, “The kids often start up conversations related to the questions after the game is over. It leads to a lot of discussion. And because it’s a very supportive environment, there is no teasing about their answers.”

But perhaps the most popular activity is Coursey’s series of lessons on the origins of hip hop music. In addition to learning about this music genre, the children write their own lyrics, an exercise Coursey says helps them improve their interpersonal communication skills and writing ability.

They have special seasonal events, as well. In November, the kids enjoyed a Thanksgiving dinner prepared by students in the cooking program at Ocean County Vocational Technical School.

In December, Kelly arranged for a Santa to come to a local senior center whose members volunteered to donate and wrap gifts for Santa to give out to the kids. “They were very nice gifts, too,” he commented, “headphones and the like.”

Of the program’s success, Coursey said, “Two of our kids approached Mr. Mosley, who is a teacher, and asked where he teaches because they want to take his class. They don’t see many African American teachers, so they are especially drawn to him.”

Signs of Success With Kids and Parents

Another sign of the program’s success is that as the word gets out, more and more kids are coming. Since this is not a school-affiliated program, they don’t have to be there—but they are.

“They’re comfortable with us now,” said Coursey, “as well as very engaged and appreciative. And I believe parents encourage them to be a part of this. We know that some of them had negative opinions about law enforcement before, but are enthusiastic about this,” he added.

“A mother came up to me at the Unity Day event and said, ‘My children need this because they have experienced very traumatic things in their household,’” he said. “Even just filling in for the lack of activities prior to the TEAM program makes a difference.”

But the program’s success is most vividly demonstrated in the TEAM Video, which captures the children’s spirit, excitement, and happiness, as well as the affection they and the TEAM leaders have for each other.

According to Coursey, the video, which shows the kids and officers playing tug of war and working on art projects, among other activities, was produced to show parents, local supporters and others who are interested in the program how the officers and children interact with each other. Already, local organizations are expressing interest in participating in the program.

Expansion to High School and Student Mentoring

Asked about plans for the future, Kelly said “We initially tailored the program for grade school children, but now want to expand it through senior year of high school, with activities that provide some social education, as well as career guidance and other important life skills.”

He also expects the program to be somewhat self-sustaining at this point, with the kids who’ve gone through TEAM and are now in high school mentoring the younger children. They are also planning to package the program for use in other communities.

In the meantime, the TEAM members and kids are excited to be starting up again in the new school year, though many stayed in touch over the summer. Said Coursey, “We told them all to text us if they needed help, and some did come to us to say, ‘I got in trouble.’ And we had serious talks about what to do.”

To illustrate the personal relationships that enable conversations like this, White said that, at the township’s annual Summer Fest and again at another event, children from the program broke away from their friends to run up and ask her where Sergeant Kelly and other TEAM officers were.

Said White, “They asked for each of them by name, and were disappointed that they weren’t there. For me, it was a touching moment, demonstrating that what we are doing is making a difference. We really are reaching these young people.”

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