HEAT – Miami Police – D2C: Press Event & Activation

The Miami HEAT, the City of Miami Police Department and Dedication to Community (D2C) have expanded their unique and ground-breaking partnership with the goal of training the entirety of the Miami Police Department—including approximately 900 uniformed officers—via a unique community policing program designed to help bridge the gap between Black and Brown city residents and local law enforcement. Longstanding HEAT community partner, Florida Blue, the state’s Blue Cross Blue Shield plan, will help underwrite the cost. This announcement follows a successful pilot program, announced on September 3, 2020, which consisted of approximately 75 officers participating in the training. 

The pilot program has been expanded and, to date, D2C has educated approximately 500 Miami Police Department officers, along with hundreds of local civilians and HEAT staff through the program. Dedication to Community (D2C) is a national non-profit that educates and empowers communities and law enforcement professionals through skills-building workshops and forums designed to improve understanding and build relationships while pursuing healing, reconciliation and unity. A key component of the course emphasizes community interaction. To that end, in true Bonded by Ball fashion, Wilson, the official basketball of the NBA, has donated 1,000 basketballs to the HEAT, who will use the donation to equip each of the 900 officers of the force with a basketball to be carried in their vehicles and to be used for random pick-up games with South Florida youth. The media announcement was immediately followed by pick-up basketball games between officers and local children. Lunch was provided by Pollo Tropical.