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HIS NEW ROLE IS EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY. DURING PICKETT’S TIME BEFORE HIS APPOINTMENT WAS MADE PERMANENT, HE STARTED IMPLEMENTING AN EIGHT POINT STRATEGIC PLAN TO REDUCING CRIME. IT INCLUDES THINGS LIKE THE SPECIALIZED ENFORCEMENT TEAM, WHICH HAS MADE HUNDREDS OF ARRESTS SINCE IT BEGAN EARLIER THIS YEAR, AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE POLICE ATHLETIC TEAMS, WHICH SPENT THIS EVENING HELPING KIDS TAKE PART IN YOUTH SPORTS. �������� 13 JARVIS ROBERTSON JOINING US NOW AFTER SPENDING TIME AT COOPER GREEN BASEBALL FIELDS WITH THE TEAMS. HOW WILL THIS HELP WITH CRIME NUMBERS? JARVIS. WELL, GUY FOR STARTERS, THERE WAS A LOT OF EXCITEMENT AND GOOD ENERGY IN THE AIR. THE PEOPLE THAT I SPOKE WITH TODAY, THEY ARE EXCITED TO START HITTING THE DIAMOND IN HOPES OF REDUCING CRIME IN THE CITY OF BIRMINGHAM. ARE YOU READY? YOU SURE? OKAY. I’M AN ADVOCATE OF THE PAT. SO I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY’RE TRYING TO DO. BATTER UP. FASTBALL. THIS MAY BE LITTLE LEAGUE, BUT THERE’S A BIGGER GOAL. BUILDING CHARACTER. SOMETHING DION LESTER APPRECIATES. HE’S BEEN COACHING YOUTH BASEBALL FOR QUITE SOME TIME AND ALSO PLAYED HIMSELF BACK IN MY DAY. IT WASN’T IT WASN’T A HIGH CRIME RATE BECAUSE A LOT OF THE KIDS WERE OUTSIDE. IT WAS OUTSIDE PLAYING WITH EACH OTHER. YEAH. JUSTIN MCMILLAN IS THE ENSLEY CRUSH COMMISSIONER. ONE OF HIS TEAMS WERE IN ACTION TUESDAY EVENING. HE UNDERSTANDS THE NEED TO BUILD RAPPORT WITH POLICE FROM AN EARLY AGE. LIKE GROWING UP, YOU KNOW, YOU’RE TAUGHT TO BE AFRAID OF THE POLICE AND NOT REALLY FOOL WITH THEM. BUT IT WAS COOL. LIKE OFFICER VICK, I GREW UP PLAYING UP UNDER HIM, SO IT WAS IT WAS NORMAL FOR ME. HE AGREES THAT SPORTS IS ONE AVENUE TO HELP BRIDGE THE GAP. THE OFFICER THAT’S AHEAD OF PAT NOW, PAUL CAMPBELL. I PLAYED FOOTBALL WITH HIM IN HIGH SCHOOL. HE’S SAYING, YOU KNOW, OFFICERS, YOU KNOW, TO LEAD THEM KIDS INTO A BETTER DIRECTION. SO A LOT OF THEM ARE PRETTY EXCITED RIGHT NOW. OFFICER CAMPBELL SAYS BEING ABLE TO REACH THE YOUTH IS CRITICAL IN BUILDING A BETTER COMMUNITY. THEIR INTERACTIONS RIGHT NOW CAN STEM FROM A PLACE OF FUN INSTEAD OF TROUBLE, AS THEY SEE ME MORE AND MORE OFTEN, THEY MORE COMFORTABLE TO COME UP TO ME AND ASKING ME LIKE DIFFERENT QUESTIONS. AND YOU KNOW, I CAN BE ABLE TO GIVE THEM FEEDBACK FROM THINGS WE DO ON OUR SIDE. AND PAMELA CHRISTOPHER GETS IT. HER SON IS PART OF THE 14 U TEAM. SHE SAYS ENVIRONMENTS LIKE THIS MAKES HIM WELL ROUNDED AND ENHANCES HIS CHARACTER. I CAN ACTUALLY SEE HIS IMPROVEMENT, NOT JUST IN THE SPORT ASPECT, BUT ALSO IN HIS MENTALITY. AND IT CREATES A FAMILY ATMOSPHERE. COACH LESTER FONDLY REMEMBERS HIS TIME FROM WHEN HE PLAYED WITH THE PAT. IT WAS LOVELY. HE TREATED ME LIKE HIS CHILD. SO AGAIN, THE TACTIC OF USING SPORTS IS GOING TO BE A LONG TERM GOAL WHEN IT COMES TO REDUCING CRIMES. NOW, TYPICALLY THESE BASEBALL TEAMS DO PLAY ON THE WEEKENDS, BUT TH