As soon as the doors opened, Camden kids from around the city began pouring into the Morgan Village Creative Arts Academy gym for after-school activities designed to give them a safe and fun place to play — and keep them from getting into trouble.
The Open Gym program, held every Friday night at several locations across Camden, targets at-risk teenage boys, but younger students and girls are welcome, too. About 100 youth participate in the weekly activity.
"It's good so kids can stay out of the hood," said Malik Barnes, 11, a seventh grader at Morgan Village who shows up at the gym every week. "They can come play basketball instead of being in the streets and doing bad things."
From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., youngsters can play basketball and board games or sit on the bleachers, color pictures and talk with friends, get a free haircut, and eat pizza. Parents can drop in to get information about social services, counseling, and employment.
After kids got 'hip' to police officers, they shifted gears
The program was launched in 2021 by the Camden County Metro Police Department as part of a community policing program in the city of 70,000, where more than one-quarter of the residents are under 18, said Capt. Vivian Coley. Police initially were focused on enforcing the city's 10 p.m. curfew, but decided a different approach was needed, she said.
Law enforcement officers would scour the city to find curfew violators, with little success, Coley said. The youth knew the strategy and would flee, and police didn't want to risk chasing them, she said.
"We weren't getting any kids," Coley said. "The kids got hip to us."
Chief Gabriel Rodriguez allowed police to shift gears and start the Open Gym program, said Coley, his chief executive officer. The program grew, and nights were added at various locations, she said. It costs about $50,000 annually with grants from sponsors, including the Philadelphia 76ers, she said.
City youth between 16 and 19 are most at risk for dropping out of school and getting into trouble, according to the police department. In 2023, there were 95 repeat violent arrests in that cohort and 24 of those arrests involved a firearm. Rodriguez attributed the escalation of violent crime in the city mostly to teens outside the school system.
Coley, a 27-year veteran of the force and the department's community outreach commander, knows most of the youth and greets them by name when they arrive. Most are between 8 and 18. She hugs them and asks each, "How was your week? Anything going on?"
The mother of three and a grandmother, Coley, 54, keeps a close watch over the youth, looking for any signs of distress or need — a new pair of sneakers to replace ones worn or too small, a toiletries care package or a bag of food to tide them over through the weekend. She stops a young boy to tie his shoelaces.
"I try to do whatever I can. I can't imagine not having this program," Coley said. "We are a family."
Games, counselors, mentors
There is no set structure for Open Gym, although basketball is a big attraction. Detectives with the Camden County Prosecutor's Office check in attendees at the entrance. Everyone is screened and backpacks checked. A barber's chair is set up for anyone who wants a free haircut.
"We just want to make sure we create a safe space for the kids. We're not looking for the next Michael Jordan," Coley said.
Most of the attendees on Friday night spread out for pickup games on the brightly polished basketball courts. The older youth played full-court, while the younger kids played half-court games with popular Hoop It Up, a 3x3 competition. No horseplay or rough playing is allowed.
"I love playing with the guys," said Skylar Goods, 17, a senior at Camden Academy Charter High School, one of the few girls on the basketball court. "It gets me ready for the season."
Joseph Smith, 20, a computer technician, looks forward to the weekly outing, especially the help he gets with his job search. The friendly interaction with police in a casual setting has also changed his negative views about law enforcement, he said.
"I thought the police were rude," Smith said. "They want the best for me. It's a great program."
In addition to law enforcement, community leaders and social workers from the Center for Family Services help with Open Gym. They arrange counseling if needed, serve as mentors, and help distribute boxes of pizza and Gatorade.
Pamela Grayson-Baltimore, founder of I Dare to Care, a mentoring program for girls, said she now has a different perspective.
"This has given me a newfound love for young men," she said.
Coley also recruited several men to attend Open Gym. Respected in the community, they serve as role models and intervene quickly if a conflict erupts.
"They see TV and they think the only way they get money is through negative ways," said Divine Lyte, 45, who works for the Camden Parking Authority. "We're the reality for them."
Most of the youth remained for the entire Open Gym session. They occasionally took a break to wipe their sweaty brows or sip a drink.
"If these kids could play all night, they would," said Veronica Schoultz,a school security officer. "I always tell them the streets are not for you. Anything can happen."
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