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Dayton police-community relations is leading scorer in this game

The game was just for fun, but the leading scorer was the continued building of police-community relations.

All lives mattered on this night. No handcuffs. No bullets. No protest march.

Just hands clapping and cheers for the Dayton police officers who took to the basketball court against a team of Dayton Job Corps Center students.

Thursday night's tilt was Round Two of what has become an annual face-off involving the two groups as a way to  celebrate MLK Week.

"With so many things going on in the world today, I think it's a positive thing to create just a positive relationship between the community and the police officers, to get a different light on what they do and what they do for the community," said Terry Cooper, DJCC business community liaison. "I think it's a great relationship."

"For the students and community to see the DPD as normal every day people out of the uniform is huge," Cooper said.

The DJCC provides training in education and vocational skills in areas that include carpentry, clinical medical assistant, computer technician, culinary arts, building construction and more. The center offers four dorms, a dining hall, recreation as well as health and dental care to prepare students for stable, long-term careers.

The game, played at the DJCC recreation center on Germantown Pike, was the culmination of a week of activities involving DJCC students as a way to honor the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Cooper said:

* Monday, 38 to 45 participated in the MLK Jr. march

* Tuesday, students volunteered at the St. Vincent De Paul Center

* Wednesday, students participated in a meet-and-greet with Dayton police officers

* Today (Thursday), students served breakfast at the House of Bread. Oh, and then there was the basketball game.

Cooper said the students had been looking forward to the game. "We've been really advertising it all week. They're here to cheer everybody on. Not just our center, but also the police officers."

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