ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — With summer in full swing an increase in youth violence is usually seen in the Capital Region. One local man is providing community kids with safer options. Wednesday, he introduced several new recruits from the Albany Police Department Academy to the community by taking them on a walk through the neighborhood.
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“Today, our community partnership was with the Albany Police Department recruits, and we assimilate a few things today,” explained the Executive Director for Hood’s House of Hoops (HHH), Coach Jamil Hood.
One step inside Hoods House of Hoops and you’ll see on full display the difference that the coach has made in the lives of hundreds of people per week. “We got summer camps. We have a senior citizen program. We have Hood’s House of health, fitness, mental, physical. Of course we do [play] basketball. We have our plumbing and electricity program going on,” explained Hood.
Nearly 450 people walk through the doors every week and Coach Hood said he’s been building community relationships in the Capital Region for decades. He took things a step further in recent years with the addition of taking Albany PD’s academy recruits out on walks in the community and introducing them to the neighborhood they will serve…