Racine Sun

On April 28, law enforcement, crime victims and community members were all on the same teams for Racine's Bigger than Basketball game aimed at ending violence in the community.

Both teams' rosters were filled with law enforcement officers and community members from far and near, all hoping to broker closer working relationships with one another in the struggle to bring about greater peace in communities.

The participants know that strong relationships and chemistry are necessary for any type of team to perform at its highest level. 

"Any time you're trying to establish a relationship or strengthen a relationship, I think that rapport is so important and so vital with that because without trust, you don't have anything," Jamario Farr, community leader and Racine Unified team member, told Fox6Now.com.  

Farr has a simple game plan when it comes to giving the partnership its best chance of working out as planned. 

"To work with law enforcement, we need to see them as human beings," he said. "Again, not see them as what they do, but as who they are."

At Bigger than Basketball, Racine Police Chief Maurice Robinson looked forward to taking full advantage of every opportunity to preach togetherness, taking part in a halftime panel discussion focused on what could be done to improve relationships.  

"I want to hear the questions that people have to ask and to see what things I already have answers for and what I need to go work on," he said. "It helps people to understand that police don't come from a factory. We come from the communities that we serve, and when you get a chance to see somebody play and have a good time, laugh and sweat, you see them as more human."

The local chapter of Voice of Black Mothers United organized the event. The nonprofit works to reduce community gun violence by forging relationships between residents.