I.U.P.A. Local, Yonkers PBA’s BRICK Program

In recent years it has become more and more evident that there is a need to build relationships and to heal old wounds between police and the communities we serve. With this in mind, in 2017, I.U.P.A. local, the Yonkers PBA created the B.R.I.C.K. program which stands for Building Relationships through Interactions with Cops and Kids. We recognize that like building a home, building relationships are done one step at a time, or, one BRICK at a time.

Along with local high schools, the PBA hosts BRICK sessions where we gather thirty or so students mixed with six to eight cops in an open, comfortable forum. School faculty are asked to have the students prepare questions and be prepared for an honest dialogue on hard hitting topics revolved around policing including police brutality, police involved shootings and more.

With each and every BRICK session, the dialogue has gotten more honest, productive and rewarding. The kids walk away with a better understanding of how police operate in an urban community, and equally as important, the police officers get an opportunity to listen to the concerns of the kids. The BRICK program has been virtual throughout COVID-19, but soon in-person sessions will soon resume.