COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Julian Ivey has had the kind of interaction with police that make so many young African-American men wary of law enforcement officials.
It was his first day at the University of Maryland, and he had just gotten the keys to his dorm at Annapolis Hall. He was on his way out when he was confronted by two Maryland state troopers.
“They approached me with their hands on their weapons and told me that I fit a description” — that of an African-American male, Ivey said.
The explanation, that they were looking for someone else, gave Ivey little comfort because it wasn’t the first time he’d heard that.
“I just think it’s so sad that they looked at me before anything — as a threat. Enough of a threat to put their hands on their weapons and approach me that way.”
But that’s precisely why Ivey said it was important to him as a freshman and as a member of the student group “Do Better” that he try and change perceptions — on both sides.
“The thing about police is they can get a really bad rap when something happens like what happened in Ferguson,” he says.
Ivey points out that it was state troopers who confronted him, not the police that serve the University of Maryland campus, but he says mistrust of police in general is an issue.
David Mitchell, the chief of police on the University of Maryland College Park campus, agrees.
“We get painted with a broad brush. There are 17,000 police departments in the United States,” Mitchell said.
But when the public sees the kind of violence that erupted in Ferguson, Mitchell says public remembers what “the police” did.
So when Ivey and the members of “Do Better” planned a series of basketball games that put police and students on the same teams, playing with and not against each other, Mitchell’s department was all for it. But Ivey couldn’t help noting that “the turnout was a little lopsided, with mostly officers of color turning out to play” the students.
And Ivey conceded some members of his own student group were cool to the idea of playing with police from the College Park and Prince George’s County police departments. But Ivey wasn’t discouraged.
“You have to start somewhere. And I think this is a great place to start,” Ivey said.
Mitchell agreed.
“It’s through that getting to know each other, and games like this, that trust will continue to build,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell says police and students have been getting together to bridge the gaps and says he’s seeing that pay off.
“And you know what? I learn every time,” he said about meeting with the students.
Sgt. William Clifford, with the Prince George’s County Police Department, was on the sidelines in a suit and tie, coaching the teams.
“I think it’s good for people to see us in this light. We just want to do a job, and protect the communities we serve,” Clifford said.
But he added that it’s critical for police to connect with those communities. He was pleased with the way the Sunday-afternoon games went, highlighting the fact that police “are everyday people, the same as them.”
University of Maryland sophomore John Rookard also gave the afternoon high marks.
“With these teams being intermingled with students and police officers, it shows we can work together and build a better community,” Rookard said.
Rookard said he’s been able to find common ground with the officers on more than just basketball.
“It’s great to see that they’re people just like us — and we all care about each other,” Rookard said.
WTOP’s Kate Ryan contributed to this report. Follow @WTOP on Twitter and WTOP on Facebook.
