Police Department

Spokane Police kick off summer youth league

Police Activities League expands to more neighborhoods

Ofc. Teresa Fuller, 509.835.4568, tfuller@spokanepolice.org

Thursday, July 9, 2015 at 9:30 a.m.

The 2015 edition of the Spokane Police Activities League (PAL) is underway. Sessions have begun this week at local parks and run through August. The popular PAL program returns even bigger than in previous years.

PAL hosts events during July and August with the goal of increasing the level of respect, understanding and goodwill between Spokane area youth, community leaders, and members of the Spokane Police Department. PAL began in 2013 and expanded as participation doubled in 2014.

2014 participant surveys showed that youth were highly enthusiastic about the program.

• 88% agreed, “This program helped me learn to trust police.”
• 93% agreed, “I trust the officers who patrol my neighborhood.”
• 93% agreed, “If I had a problem at school or in my neighborhood, I would feel comfortable asking a Police Officer for help.”

Due to increasing demand, the PAL program is expanding to include three separate programs in the East Central, West Central, and Hillyard city neighborhoods in 2015. For more information on this year’s league schedule for each neighborhood, visit SpokanePAL.org.

SPD Officers engage local youth at every PAL session to build relationships and encourage healthy, positive choices. The program focuses on five core values: honesty, integrity, sportsmanship, leadership and respect.  When coaches see the kids display a core value, the kids get a raffle ticket to win prizes at the end of the day. Spokane Police have also partnered with United Way to teach the kids a literacy activity during the last 30 minutes of the session. Spokane Parks and Recreation has opened their pools to PAL kids to swim and cool off after playing basketball. Many of our YPI graduates have returned to be youth mentors to PAL’s younger kids.

Spokane PAL’s regular season round will run for six weeks. A post season BBQ will be held immediately following the regular season on Aug. 20 at Liberty Park, 1704 E. 4th Ave. from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Players from all three PAL programs will be presented with a t-shirt and certificate. In addition, raffle tickets earned during the regular season will be entered into a grand prize drawing for several items.

Spokane PAL is a partnership program developed by Spokane community leaders and the Spokane Police Department. SPD partners with KFCA Ministries and Spokane Public Schools along with several community donors.

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