The Fourth Annual Metro Mayors Basketball Tournament brought area youths and law enforcement staff together in a spirit of solidarity.

Law enforcement officials, youth services workers and local teens joined together for the Fourth Annual Metro Mayors Basketball Tournament Saturday, August 4, at Trum Field in a show of solidarity among youth and those who fight for their safety.Somerville’s Teen Empowerment and the Somerville Police Dept took part in this event. There was a three-point contest and a dance show featuring youth from the communities participating in the tournament. Referees and entertainers volunteered their time, and local businesses donated supplies such as food and basketballs for the event.

Shannon Grant funds provide resources to support both prevention and enforcement measures in the battle against youth- and gang-related crime. The Metro Mayors Shannon Grant Community Safety Initiative includes community partners such as Teen Empowerment in Somerville and Roca in Chelsea. These groups use the funding to support programs offering at-risk and court-involved youth the opportunity to turn their lives in a new direction. Police departments across the region also use the funding to support the Metro Gang Task Force and “hot spot” patrols on urban streets.

The Metro Mayors Coalition, facilitated by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), is a collaborative group that brings together 13 mayors and city and town managers from the Greater Boston area to find common solutions to shared problems. The tournament is funded in part by the Charles E. Shannon, Jr. Community Safety Initiative, which promotes a regional approach to addressing youth and gang violence throughout Massachusetts.

~Photos by Emily Torres-Cullinane (MAPC staff)