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Town of Tonawanda Police bridging the gap with hockey

Posted at 12:27 AM, Mar 11, 2019
and last updated 2019-03-11 00:27:25-04

BUFFALO (WKBW) — In a light-hearted game, the Town of Tonawanda Police played against the Buffalo Sabres Thunder Sunday in their fourth annual scrimmage at the Buffalo Ice Rink.

The Sabres Thunder is a team made up of athletes with developmental disabilities. They gave the police a run for their money with an early lead in the game.

However, organizers say the day wasn't about winning. It was about bridging the gap between police and the community.

"It's important to the kids. It's important to us. It's important to the community in general that we're out there," said retired Police Captain David Baumgartner. "They see us as people, not just an officer driving around in a car they can't approach. We're friends with them. They talk to us after the game. It's a thrill for them. It's a thrill for us."

Around 30 people played in Sunday's game.