Chicago Police officers put down the cuffs and pick up a ball to bond with kids

Torene Harvin

An Austin community center organized a number of activities this week to keep Chicago Public School students busy during Spring break.

For the second time, officials from The Peace Corner Youth Center (PCYC) invited local police officers to play basketball with kids on Wednesday. Many of the young people were looking forward to another game, since they were defeated by officers the first time.

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“We want to make sure that we have as much time with the students, so that they are not outside doing nothing and getting into trouble,” said Seth El-Jamal, PCYC’s executive director.

The Peace Corner Youth Center was founded in 2002 to provide children “a safe haven from gang violence” and connect them with mentors who will help them make positive decisions.

Photo at Top:Kids at The Peace Corner Youth Center posed with police officers during their Spring break.(Torene Harvin/MEDILL)