|
BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF GREATER LOS ANGELES
ANNOUNCE PARTNERSHIP
WITH LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT
“Bigs in Blue” Pairs Youth and LAPD in National Mentorship
Program
The Los Angeles Rams Provide Program Support
Los
Angeles, CA – December 2, 2016 –
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles (BBBSLA)
President and CEO Tiffany Siart announced a partnership with the
Los Angeles Police Department, part of a national mentorship
program titled Bigs in Blue, at a press conference on
December 1, 2016 at LAPD headquarters in downtown Los Angeles.
The program pairs law enforcement volunteers, “Bigs”, with
children in local communities, or “Littles”. Bigs in Blue
provides adult friendship, support and encouragement, as well as
positive interaction with members of the LAPD, to young people
in underserved communities. The event also recognized the
support by the Los Angeles Rams NFL football team to the Bigs
in Blue and to BBBSLA.
Big
Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) is the nation’s oldest
mentorship program, with a mission of pairing children facing
adversity, with one on one mentorship relationships. BBBSA
recognized a growing need for improved communication and
understanding between law enforcement and communities of color
and developed Bigs in Blue, now being rolled out in
participating cities nationally, in response. BBBSLA realizes
that building relationships of trust between young people of Los
Angeles and the LAPD will affect lasting and positive change in
community relations.
"We
know that developing a relationship between law enforcement and
vulnerable communities through the power of mentorship can
effect transformative change. We have already seen first-hand
the life-changing impact that LAPD Bigs, already in our program,
have made in the lives of their Littles. And also the incredible
impact those littles have made in the lives of their Bigs”, said
Tiffany Siart.
Charlie Beck, Chief of Police, speaking on behalf of the LAPD,
has signed a five-year agreement to provide departmental support
to recruit Bigs in Blue mentors from among officers and
staff, especially male officers. The mission is to commit a
minimum of 20 “Bigs” per year for the period of the agreement.
The LAPD partnership goal is to provide positive and supportive
role models to boys and girls, inspire community trust, and
reduce the incidents of juvenile crime, drug and alcohol use,
truancy and other at risk behavior.
“Being
a trusted community resource is built one relationship at a
time. It
is more crucial
than ever for us
to engage with our youth in
meaningful ways, particularly with kids in underserved
communities, so they have an early, and positive experience with
law enforcement, one they may not have had before.
The Bigs in Blue of the LAPD will be part
of that child’s life during critical years providing friendship,
encouragement, guidance, and modeling a path to success.
I am proud
of
the
men and women of the LAPD
who
have already stepped up to be
a positive
role
model
in a young person’s life,”
said Chief Beck.
The
Los Angeles Rams have been enthusiastic supporters of Big
Brothers Big Sisters in their former home of St. Louis and now
in Los Angeles. They provide tickets to home games, interactive
opportunities, and participate in fundraisers. As the Rams
look for ways to help build a bridge between law enforcement and
the communities they serve, the team is interested in the
potential of Bigs in Blue to assist vulnerable youth and
develop trust and communication between communities and the
police.
“As
a supporter of Big Brothers Big Sisters and a past Big, I can
personally attest to the power of the Big-Little mentoring
relationship,” said La’Roi Glover, director of player engagement
for the Los Angeles Rams and six-time NFL Pro Bowl defensive
tackle, who was a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team from
2000-2009. “As an organization, Bigs in Blue gives us an
opportunity to be actively engaged in building positive
relationships between police and the communities they serve.
We’re excited to help bring awareness to the need and reward
those who make the commitment to be part of the solution.”
In
recognition of January as National Mentoring Month, the Rams
will highlight the new initiative during the team’s January 1,
2017. The team has also provided BBBSLA with 100 tickets to the
game, so Big and Little pairs including current LAPD matches in
Bigs in Blue can enjoy the game.
Also
in attendance at the press conference were Los Angeles Police
Commission Vice President Steve Soboroff, a past president of
BBBSLA, and a “Big” for 48 years; LAPD officer Keith Mott, a
current “Big”; and members of the Association of Black Law
Enforcement Executives (ABLE); Latin American Law Enforcement
Association (LaLey); Los Angeles Women Police Officers and
Associates (LAWPOA); Oscar Joel Bryant Foundation (OJB); Los
Angeles Police Protective League (LAPPL); Command Officers
Association (COA) and LEAAP.
About Big Brothers Big
Sisters of Greater Los Angeles
Big Brothers Big Sisters provides children facing adversity with
strong and enduring, professionally supported one-to-one
mentoring relationships that change their lives for the better,
forever. Big Brothers Big Sisters ensures that the children in
its program achieve such measurable outcomes as educational
success, avoidance of risky behaviors, higher aspirations,
greater confidence and better relationships. Founded by Walt
Disney and Meredith Willson in 1955, they are a leading
non-profit in the Los Angeles community. To learn more, visit www.GoBigLA.org,
follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/bbbsla,
Facebook at www.facebook.com/bbbsla and
on Instagram at
www.instagram.com/bbbsla. |