LIBERTY — Joining the school district for a community-strengthening event, the Village of Liberty Police Department competed against the staff of the Liberty Central School District in the now 2nd annual basketball match-up between the two parties - an event that lines up to the day with the end of the first quarter marking period on the students’ academic progress. 

The bleachers of the high school gym were in full-open as the room filled with excitement for the event, and to its credit, the game itself was a fine show of surprising effort and seriousness taken by all involved with excellent sportsmanship to boot. 

Close a game as it was, the LPD managed to win out with a two point lead at 40-38 as the buzzer struck zero - with Officers Moore (layup) and Brust (free throw) taking the first and last shots of the game respectively.  

At game-end Erin Alvord said, “We started this last year. It was actually our SRO [Officer Adam Lake] and Officer Poppos’ idea to bring officers and the school district together. 

We thought it would be a great event for the community, and people seemed to like it so we made it into an annual event.” 

And true, with less to be said of the competition itself so much as the act of bringing closer together the staff, students, and village law enforcement. It seemingly inspires further in the youth of the district trust and familiarity with the adults in their lives and hometown. And if anything aside, it was a spectacle of out-of-the-ordinary cooperation and togetherness to be seen in any community.

To the same effect, Police Chief Steve D’Agata said proudly of the event,  “It’s just one of the many community events that we do in cooperation with the [Police Benevolent Association]. It’s an amazing event, it brings the community together and it’s smiles all around. It’s always a great time.”