NYPD commish joins community leaders to unveil
renovated basketball court at Douglass Houses
The commissioner of the NYPD shoots some hoops.
BY DEAN MOSES
The Frederick Douglass Houses,
community leaders, and the NYPD
are hoping to keep children off the
streets and on the basketball court this
summer in the Upper West Side.
With the COVID-19 pandemic vastly
reducing activities for young people due
to mass closures—especially within lowincome
neighborhoods—the NYPD and
community leaders have devised a way
to keep adolescents safe and entertained
during the warmer months thanks to the
opening on June 2 of a newly refurbished
basketball court near 830 Columbus Ave..
With the summer just over the horizon,
it was rather apt that an event to celebrate
the offi cial opening of the renovated Frederick
Douglass Houses’ basketball court
commenced with a block party-esque
atmosphere on Wednesday evening. For
over half an hour, the NYPD Police Band
had children and adults alike clapping their
hands and dancing to iconic beats. Toddlers
stared in awe as drummers crouched beside
them, hammering their instruments, and
even handed the little ones a drumstick to
take a whack of their own. Shedding their
masks thanks to the COVID-19 vaccine
rollout, 2021 looked a lot like 2019 again.
“This is all for you, our children. We
have been locked up for so long to bring everyone
together. It’s about building bridges,
bringing Douglass families together, no
division. We want to make sure we are safe
all the time,” Frederick Douglass Houses
Tenant Association President Carmen
Quinones told onlooking families.
Once the band had left attendees’ moods
high, Police Commissioner Dermot Shea
joined, members of the NYPD’s 24th
PHOTOS BY DEAN MOSES
The court was brimming with life.
Precinct, Chief of Patrol Juanita Holmes,
Chief of Housing David Barrere, District
Attorney Cyrus Vance, NYPD Law Enforcement
Explorers, community leaders,
and others to christen the court.
“This is a partnership, between federal,
state and local partners,” Shea said, giving one
little excited boy a ‘high-fi ve’ before continuing,
“We are here for you! This is the second
of 15 courts that we are rehabbing as one of
many things that we are doing. All with the
most important thing in mind: Doing the right
thing for kids and the community.”
The Commissioner attracted quite a
crowd of young fans who idled just below
the podium with wide eyes and open mouths.
The Frederick Douglass Basketball court is
the second site to receive a full renovation,
the Wagner Houses also had their court
upgraded and opened on May 7, as a part of
the “Safe Summer NYC” program.
Last month, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced
the “Safe Summer NYC” initiative
that will increase offi cer presence in high
crime areas, shifting approximately 200
offi cers to street patrol and conduct various
community programs, such as hosting
nighttime basketball games and hosting
gun-buy back operations.
“This is just a perfect example of what
we can do when we work together. By
working together with our community,
our federal partners, and our local partners
we were able to take assets seized by law
enforcement operations and direct them
to spaces for our children. We devoted
over $4 million in asset funds to opening
up spaces for New York City kids,” Chief
David Barrere said.
In addition to the unveiling of the new
basketball court, children in attendance
received a truckload of free toys from the
First Responders Children’s Foundation,
who both donated money and supplied the
toys for the festive event.
“We are delighted to partner with the
NYPD and public safety to bring toys and
support their incredible endeavors to bring
basketball courts to NYCHA and to bring
mental health awareness, and fun and joy,
and help bring kids back outside after a
diffi cult time,” Jillian Crane President First
Responders Children Foundation.
After the speeches culminated, the
children rushed onto the court where they
instantly began shooting hoops. They were
not alone, however. The NYPD’s top cop
could have been mistaken for an NBA top
shooter as Shea made several impressive
three-point throws to much adulation from
the young players. Filming the fun on his
cellphone, Shea laughed with community
members and reveled in the latest crime
prevention program.
“My two favorite words are community
and solution. Identify where we need
change and then bring the right people to
the table to make it happen,” Chief Holmes
said.
Youngsters play along with the band.
6 June 10, 2021 Schneps Media