J.B. Van Hollen announces launch of Badges for Baseball program

MADISON (WITI) -- Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen is ready to play ball! On Monday, March 18th, Van Hollen kicked off the Badges for Baseball program.

The program is a partnership between the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation and the Wisconsin DOJ.

The program pairs police officers with kids from some of the worst neighborhoods, and they play baseball.

Besides learning the game, it also gives the officers a chance to teach them off the field lessons.

"At the same time, then they can bring them into the classroom and teach them a few things and establish really good bonds with kids and adults. This program in particular with kids and law enforcement officers, when I hear kids come up to me and say 'I used to think that police were the bad guys and now this officer is one of best friends.' That's a huge success," Van Hollen said.

This is the fifth year of the program. So far around 8,500 kids in the state of Wisconsin have taken part.