CPSO brings basketball, Easter egg hunts to town of Vivian

VIVIAN, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – The Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office was out in the community, connecting with north Caddo parish in the town of Vivian. The event was called ‘Hip Hop to the Free Throw Line.’

“We want the young people to understand that there’s more to the sheriff’s office besides arresting people. We want to showcase our positive side by showing what we offer out here especially up here in Vivian,” said Lt. Lifford Jackson, community relations with the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Teams of different age groups, from 5 to 18 years old, competed in a free throw basketball tournament. There was also an Easter egg hunt for young children.

“If we can reach our youth then we can reach everybody else and it starts with our youth. As you said, they are younger, and crime is getting within younger ages so we need to start touching our younger people first, and then if we can get them to understand that there’s so many great positive things for them to do other than get in trouble, that’s our goal,” said Malaysia Simmon, Crime Victim Coordinator with the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office.

Mothers from Vivian said they were appreciative to be included.

“We are a small town and we kind of get left out because we’re not in the city, so we’re glad to see that they’re thinking about us, reaching back and getting our kids and not forgetting our babies and including us, so we really are appreciative of that,” said Vivian resident, Toni Thompkins.

Students with the Caddo Parish Explorer Program served as volunteers. The initiative combines career exploration with leadership development.

Jhona Murphy, a 9th grader at Booker T Washington High School is a part of the program.

“We like to bring a lot of kids out, have a little get together, have a little fun, you know we’re having a little Easter egg hunt for the kids so they can see that the police officers and the police force are really not that bad, that’s it’s not about arrests and hurting people, and they really just want to see the good side of the police force,” said Murphy.