CONWAY, SC (WBTW) – Law enforcement in Horry County traded in their uniforms Saturday for their sneakers as the Horry County CAST Coalition sponsored the first Law Enforcement versus Teens basketball tournament.
CAST stands for Community Action for a Safer Tomorrow, and the tournament was part of the organization’s many efforts to close the gap between the community and law enforcement.
The tournament was held inside the HTC Center at Coastal Carolina University. North Myrtle Beach Police, CCU Department of Public Safety, Horry County Sheriff’s Office, Conway PD, and Myrtle Beach Police were all represented at the tournament.
The Horry County CAST Coalition is made up of local law enforcement and emergency services personnel, and right now, they’re working to promote a drug free community.
The basketball tournament was an opportunity law enforcement to meet with teens in the area to educate them on the importance of not drinking and doing drugs.
“We need to reiterate the point to everybody, not just our youth, that the police, we’re here to help and to protect the citizens that we serve. We don’t want to be portrayed as anybody’s enemy, we’re here to help. I think events like this are very important,” said Captain Rodney Sessions with the Coastal Carolina University Police.
Organizers of the Horry County CAST Coalition say they plan to continue to host the event every year moving forward.
Team Teens won the tournament. The winners were Jack Kelly, Chandler Keck, Kedarion Jackson, Corey Wills, and John Emory Pruett.
