Trading Uniforms for Basketballs
March 25, 2013
In February, UC Merced’s Department of Public Safety student employees, staff and their families participated in the “Hoops for Kids” basketball tournament, sponsored by the Merced Community Violence Intervention and Prevention (ComVIP) task force.
The event — which consisted of three-on-three and four-on-four play, and free-throw, three-point and half-court shot competitions — raised money to benefit programs for at-risk youth.
Police mentor Josephine Sanchez took first place in the free-throw competition for her division. Juan Garcia Martinez, who handles IT for the department, took second place in the three-point competition and Administrative Assistant Andrew Sandoval took third place.
On and off the basketball court, the department is actively engaged in the community it serves, working with a number of community groups to help address and reduce violence in the community.
Programs like the Police Mentor Program, Rape Aggression Defense Program, Citizen Police Academy, Community Service Officer Program and other community-focused events help further the mission of the department and the campus. Through its mentoring program, the department works closely with two local elementary schools giving kids an alternative to violence, gangs and drugs. Members of the department also serve on community boards and committees such as ComVIP, Crime Stoppers, the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault group and Re-Direct (a juvenile delinquency intervention program).
