KEARNS — Unified police officers and nearly 30 children kicked around several orange soccer balls on the newly renovated Bruce Field Wednesday, celebrating the park's official opening.
"He's David Beckham, but without the looks," shouted Salt Lake County Sheriff Jim Winder to a fellow officer who blocked his kick from entering the white-and-orange goal.
Even Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams joined in on the fun, bombarding the officer-turned-goalie with nearly 30 soccer balls, thanks to the help of the children, who tried to distract the goalie by kicking their soccer balls at the same time as McAdams.
Despite the diversion, McAdams didn't score.
On the field, police officers appeared to be having more fun than the kids. That may not be surprising, considering that during prior visits to the 4-acre park, officers have often dealt with criminal activity, not friendly games of soccer.
The green space, before becoming a hot spot for crime, was the home of the Kearns Pony League, which gained ownership of the property in 1965. However, as the popularity of baseball leagues declined, so did the condition of the park.
Prior to the completed 2015 renovation, the Kearns community had tried to save the old baseball diamond, which had a place in the hearts of community members who played there as children.
"We took the old park and tore it up and redid it — thinking if we build a new park and made it nice, that kids would come," said Leslie DeJong, president of the Kearns Pony League.
Unfortunately, even after a large Eagle Scout project facelift in September of 2011, Bruce Field continued to decline into an unsafe, weed-ridden, hot spot for crime — deterring families from using the recreational space.
In 2014, McAdams, Winder, Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation, the Unified Police Department, the Kearns Pony Baseball League and the Honorary Colonel’s Association decided to combine forces to renovate the park into a soccer/lacrosse field where children and families could make new memories.
Though the space is no longer for baseball, DeJong and his wife look forward to the next generation of children using the space that their children and grandchildren grew up playing sports on.
The renovation began when the Kearns Pony Baseball League donated the land to Salt Lake County, which transformed the green space using funds donated by members of the Honorary Colonel’s Association.
"Now we have a soccer field for families to create memories and kids are going to be playing soccer here on Saturdays. It's a treasure," said McAdams, adding that the process has taken a bad part of town and returned it to a valued place in the community.
Since the transformation, Winder reports that the number of crimes in the area has decreased from about 1,600 to 1,800 per year, down to approximately 700 crimes — though Winder doesn't believe the new park is the sole reason for the decrease.
Going forward, Salt Lake County Parks and Recreation will maintain Bruce Field and the community will hold a celebration featuring food, bouncy castles and games Saturday evening.
Email: chansen@deseretnews.com