‘We’re definitely trying to bridge that gap’: Dolphins take ride-along with local police
Julien Davenport grew up in rooms just like those inside the Police Athletic League of North Miami. Anthony Davenport, the tackle’s father, was a police officer in New Jersey, so Davenport grew up spending his summers at the Police Athletic League in his hometown of Paulsboro.
It felt familiar when he stepped inside the Police Athletic League in North Miami. He knew just what to do when he stepped in the boxing ring. He felt right at home talking to the kids and signing autographs in the computer room. Davenport felt at home all throughout Tuesday, when he and three Miami Dolphins teammates spent the evening riding along with North Miami police officers, and stopping by various places in the community spend time with fans.
“It’s big,” Davenport said in North Miami. “The kids — and not only the kids, but the parents and the people in the community — being able to connect with the people who serve it, it’s a big thing because there’s a lot of misconceptions, so seeing this, how well grounded in the community the police department is, it only helps things go further.”
Davenport was joined by wide receiver Albert Wilson, guard Shaq Calhoun and safety Walt Aikens as part of the Dolphins’ Football Unites initiative in Miami-Dade County. They gathered first at the North Miami Police Department, then stopped in at the Police Athletic League of North Miami and finished at the Center Court Apartments. The whole way, they spent time with children and adults in the community, but also spending intimate time with North Miami police officers.
Each Dolphin was paired with a police officer, riding shotgun for a brief ride-along through the community. It was a chance for each one to learn about the other and share an open dialog.
Wilson said this was one of the reasons he was looking forward to the event. The wideout is one of the few players left in the NFL who typically kneels during the Star Spangled Banner on Sundays to protest social justice and police brutality. Tuesday was a chance for him to get real, intimate time to talk with local officers.
“We’re definitely trying to bridge that gap with the community and the police, and that’s the deal with these ride-alongs,” Wilson said. “We’re getting into the community and it’s a great thing, and that’s exactly what we’re trying to do. We’re just trying to make that connection, so things like this is really great.”
This was the third straight year the North Miami Police Department paired with the Dolphins (3-9) for the ride-alongs and the proclaimed goal is to achieve just the sort of things Wilson is hoping for.
The evening ended at Center Court. For about an hour, residents, North Miami police offers, and Dolphins employees and players all mingled around a fire pit. Some posed for photographs. Others collected autographs. Some simply talked about whatever came to mind.
“The police officers, the players and then the community has such a bond with the Miami Dolphins, in particular, so it’s great to bring them out,” police chief Larry Juriga said. “You see all the smiling faces on even the older people who are out here, where they know and they recognize the emblem and the insignia of the Dolphins.”
