Miami Dolphins FOOTBALL UNITES™ Collaborates with North Miami Police Department for Community Building Ride Along
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December 4, 2019
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Miami Dolphins FOOTBALL UNITES™ Collaborates with North Miami Police Department for Community Building Ride Along
NORTH MIAMI, FL– The Miami Dolphins FOOTBALL UNITES™ program collaborated with North Miami Police Department (NMPD) for a community building ride along to demonstrate a unified front between Dolphins players and law enforcement on Tuesday, Dec. 3. Miami Dolphins players Walt Aikens, Shaq Calhoun, Julién Davenport and Albert Wilson joined NMPD to participate in a series of activities and facilitated discussions to engage the community, discuss community policing and emphasize importance of perspective taking.
“We are definitely trying to bridge that gap and get the community and the police together,” Wilson said. “The things the Dolphins are doing with these ride alongs in the community it’s a great thing and that’s exactly what we are trying to do to build that connection.”
As part of the ride along, Miami Dolphins players were paired with law enforcement officers to visit local communities and youth organizations in Miami-Dade County making stops at the Police Athletic League Facility and Center Court Apartments in North Miami.
“We have to make ourselves available and continue to make great efforts in the community to make sure our social justice reform continues,” Davenport said. “The youth are the future of our world and you can never do enough to give back and make sure that we have our children going in the right direction in life. I have a lot of history with the police athletic league, the police department in my family as well so it touches home and it means a lot to be here.”
“The North Miami Police Department working as partners of FOOTBALL UNITES™, while addressing community issues of mutual concern, enables us to unify our resources to bring about positive solutions,” North Miami Police Department Chief of Police Larry Juriga said. “Discussing significant topics like social justice and criminal justice reform is sometimes difficult but it is necessary for us to reach a better understanding of the problems and ultimately find remedies to bring about equality. Our visits were impactful and it was great to see our police officers engaging with our neighbors, especially the children. It provided us with another opportunity to positively develop our relationships and increase the community’s trust in us.”
The FOOTBALL UNITES™ Law Enforcement program consists of Miami Dolphins players, alumni, cheerleaders and staff working with local law enforcement to jointly engage youth, discuss community policing and promote positive interactions. Anchor events include a Police and Youth Conference with the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project and ride alongs. This marks the team’s seventh law enforcement ride along and is the third ride along with NMPD.
These efforts and initiatives align with the organization’s goal to level the playing field through the power of teamwork to inspire a healthier, more educated and united South Florida community. Dolphins Chairman of the Board & Managing General Partner Stephen Ross and Dolphins players created the FOOTBALL UNITES™ program as a way to bring positive social change. The Miami Dolphins organization believes it is important to be inclusive of the diversity and aware of the intersections that make up South Florida, uniting groups of different races, genders, sexual orientations, identities, abilities and faiths around the power of football.
These programs connect to the NFL’s Inspire Change platform, showcasing the collaborative efforts of players, owners and the league to create positive change in communities across the country and work with RISE – the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality – to eliminate racial discrimination, champion social justice and improve race relations. Information on the FOOTBALL UNITES™ program can be found here. To learn more about RISE, visit here. Fans can join the conversation with the NFL’S Inspire Change program by clicking here.
