“Boyz n the Blue” MPD kickball team connecting with the community

MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG)- Day one of the Ceasefire Sunday’s kickball tournament championship game ended early due to the rain Sunday afternoon.

This year, the tournament is presented by the City of Mobile Public Safety and Williams Co-Ed Kickball League. Dwight Williams founded the organization 8 years ago with the intention of providing the community with a positive activity.

“So, we could all come together with no negativity,” Williams said.

The Ceasefire Sunday’s kickball tournament is from May to July every year and has about 300 active members and 20 teams. Each team has 15 players and four must be female.

One of those teams is the “Boyz n the Blue”, a group of Mobile Police Officers coming out to be involved in the community.

Williams invited them to join four years ago hoping to show the community that the local law enforcement are more than just people in uniforms.

“It’s hard for the police to do their job if they don’t know anyone in the community,” Williams admitted. “Once we get everyone together from different communities and they start to see that the policemen are human too and that they are just doing their job, maybe we can get some of this stuff solved and will be more police friendly.”

Jermaine Rogers is the “Boyz ‘n’ the Blue” coach. He is also a sergeant in the Mobile Police Department’s Homicide unit. He says that he got off early Sunday morning after another homicide in Mobile Saturday night.

“Had a few hours of sleep and decided to come up here to the park just to be with the people of my community,” Rogers said.

Rogers says playing kickball and socializing with those who come to watch the game is like hanging out with family every weekend.

“We can’t do anything without the community Mobile police department cannot solve any crime without the help of the community,” MPD Corporal Nathaniel McCarty said.

The championship will continue next Sunday at Doyle Park.

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