Manatee Bridging the Gap fishing tourney to build relationships between children, law officers
A local organization will host a fishing tournament Tuesday for a group of hand-selected Manatee County children and local law enforcement agencies in an effort to build better relationships .
Manatee Bridging the Gap Inc., a grassroots organization of community leaders from groups throughout Manatee County, will play host to the event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Green Bridge Pier.
The event was organized long before the police killings of black men Philando Castile and Alton Sterling and the killing of five Dallas police officers during what had been a peaceful protest.
It is our kids that look at officers like ‘It’s us against them’... some of them look like ‘It’s them against us.’ Its just a torn relationship and we were trying to find ways to mend that.
Arthur Huggings
president of Manatee Bridging the Gap, Inc.“We went to various organizations throughout the community and we selected certain kids based on their academic performance or them improving. ... We want to take them out and give them an opportunity to develop relationships with law enforcement and vice versa,” said Arthur Huggins, president of Manatee Bridging the Gap. “We’re looking for law law enforcement to develop relationships with our kids.”
Huggins said up to 60 children will be provided with fishing poles and bait. Members of the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, Bradenton Police Department and the Palmetto Police Department will partner with two or three children and multiple prizes will be given for biggest fish, smallest fish and other categories.
According to Huggins, organization leaders and law enforcement officials have met at least once a month since last year.
Some may have some disadvantages and, with positive male role models with not only the police officers but with the pastors from the youth groups that are going to be there who are also being good role models, it gives us a chance to give back to the community.
Bradenton Police Capt. William Fowler
“We were thinking that something like that may happen, and we were trying to prevent something like that from happening and trying to help bring revolution to a sad situation,” Huggins said of the recent tragedies in Baton Rouge, Minnesota, Orlando and Dallas. “It is our kids that look at officers like ‘It’s us against them’... some of them look like ‘It’s them against us.’ It’s just a torn relationship and we were trying to find ways to mend that.”
Bradenton Police Capt. William Fowler said several BPD officers will attend.
“It shows that law enforcement can be positive influences in the lives of the kids and we want to see them be able to have fun,” he said. “Some may have some disadvantages and, with positive male role models with not only the police officers but with the pastors from the youth groups that are going to be there who are also being good role models, it gives us a chance to give back to the community.”
In Sarasota, a community conversation by the Sarasota County Branch NAACP postponed Wednesday has been rescheduled for 6:30-8:30 p.m. July 25 from at the Robert L. Taylor Community Complex, 1845 34th St., Sarasota.
Amaris Castillo: 941-745-7051, @AmarisCastillo
This story was originally published July 14, 2016 at 6:15 PM with the headline "Manatee Bridging the Gap fishing tourney to build relationships between children, law officers."