PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A new partnership between a Philadelphia Police Department soccer team and a community-based non profit is helping foster new relationships while giving opportunities to kids in the neighborhood. The Philadelphia Police Soccer Team is now a part of Kensington Soccer Club and Street Soccer USA, a partnership that originated after a story on Action News featured the police team. "The idea was to get officers involved and engaged in in some type of physical activity that we enjoy," said Lt.
Bruno Estevez, who helped start the team. "It turned into hey why don't we go around and play some community teams as an effort to engage the community." After getting some exposure, non-profits like Kensington Soccer Club reached out to the team.
"Kensington, Fishtown, North Philly. I think we've spread out and have players from throughout the city that participate in our programming," said Timothy Summiel, technical director for Kensington Soccer Club. The programming is centered on kids and gives them healthy activities that keep them safe.
"Sometimes the sport of soccer, it really gives us the ability o connect with people that might not be in our direct community," said Summiel. As the partnership grows, one of the goals is to get police involved with some of the youth teams. It's using the sport as a way to build community relations and offer mentorship) "This is community policing in a whole different way," said Estevez.
This way, officers and the community can m.