US cops overcome distancing hurdles, connect with teens through online gaming

DeKalb County Master Police Officer A.F. Gutierrez plays a video game against pre-teens and teenagers during a virtual eSport gaming tournament hosted by the DeKalb County Police Department in Chamblee on Feb 15, 2021. — Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS

ATLANTA: Whether in a pickup game of basketball or a summer football league, US cops have long challenged teenagers to battles of athletic prowess.

Playing with kids on their own turf helps to build relationships, the officers say, and could help steer them in the right direction. But there is no going toe-to-toe and hand-to-hand in the middle of a pandemic, when health guidelines encourage separation of at least six feet.