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PAL’s Commitment to Equity
Boston PAL seeks to foster a culture of trust and respect between the community and law enforcement through programs that promote character development, improve educational outcomes, and reduce crime.
Our beginnings actually started back in the 1910s when Captain John Sweeney of the New York City Police Department had the insight to offer inner-city youth some positive experiences, which involved law enforcement. He began the Police Athletic League or PAL knowing that the program would influence the youths significantly. Police involvement and supervision at places of play—ball fields, classrooms and playgrounds—engaged the children and helped to position Police Officers as friends.
Nationally, Boston has been touted as a beacon as it pertains to community policing. Community policing is perhaps the best known and more widely adopted police innovations in recent decades to help reduce crime and improve lives in communities across the country. Those Programs and activities span a broad range including those offered by Boston PAL. Boston PAL believes that its year round programs and activities play a critical role in fostering healthy relationships between community members, especially youth and police officers.
The recreational, cultural, educational and developmental programs and activities offered in partnership with the law enforcement community will undoubtedly provide incubators to create meaningful and lasting change in all of our program participants’ lives.
Founded in 1985, Boston PAL is an independent non-profit organization dedicated to promoting positive relationships between law enforcement officers and youth in the community.
We are committed to providing life-changing opportunities to the youth and disadvantaged populations in our communities by administering support and funding to law enforcement for community engagement programs, initiatives and events.
Working directly with officers and troopers, we help deliver programs that emphasize positive youth development and address high risk situations youth may confront such as truancy, alienation, bullying, juvenile delinquency, victimization, and gang involvement.
PAL supports programs, activities and events that create connection, belonging and confidence, while fostering positive mentor relationships with police.
Three main goals for all youth programs and activities:
