SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – School is out of session, but some kids in Syracuse are still involved in programs that keep them occupied.
That includes the Police Athletic League, which was made to involve children ages 6 to 18, to build relationships with law enforcement through sports.
This program is to include children from every background, having them in a diverse environment and allowing them to tour Syracuse University.
Important factors of this program are education, being active, and forming connections with police officers.
Jimmy Oliver is the director of community engagement for the Syracuse Police Department which works with PAL.
He said one key is developing relationships at a young age.
“Too many times if you’re different than I am, I don’t want to associate with you. So, if we start at six-years-old, putting a lot of these kids in front of them when they become teenagers, whether they live on the east side, the north side, west side, no, you were in PAL,” he said.
Oliver said Syracuse University serves as a goal for children in the program to aspire towards.
“The more we can get our kids up here on campus from the inner city, the more they can believe they can come up to Syracuse,” he said.
Oliver also said diversity is important.
“I wanted kids to mix and mingle because I think that’ll broaden their horizons, they’ll be open to try new things and be around different people,” he said. “I mean, we have Muslims, we have Latino, white, black, indigenous, everybody. I mean, in the staff as well, too,” Oliver said.
Trying to better relationships with law enforcement starts with programs like PAL as Jimmy Oliver Oliver discusses.
More importantly, this program allows them to be on a successful path academically, making friends along the way.
