LOS ANGELES : Police vs. Gangs Basketball Game Back on Schedule

Two months after it was canceled because of slow ticket sales, a basketball game pitting members of the Crips and Bloods against the Los Angeles Police Department has been rescheduled for this Saturday at 6 p.m in the Cal State Los Angeles gym.

Proceeds from the tickets, which range from $10 to $20, will benefit the Rev. E. V. Hill’s World Christian Job Training Center in South-Central Los Angeles. Hill, a longtime community activist, has worked closely with a group of former gang members who call themselves South-Central Blackness.

Sgt. Ken Hillman, coach of the LAPD team, acknowledged that there were some officers in the department who did not approve of the game. But he said members of the team believe it will be a positive encounter that could improve relations between police and the community.