Hill: PAL reflects the heart of law enforcement

The other night, seven San Antonio Police officers were shot by a barricaded suspect after they responded to a “suicide in progress” call. Thankfully, they all survived their injuries. News reports published in the hours after the incident said the shooter, who was later found dead inside a home, was reportedly intoxicated and clearly disturbed.

When officers confront someone who is emotionally disturbed and inclined to violence, they try – as SAPD did – to negotiate a peaceful surrender. But once a personal crisis has reached that point, it is often too late: despite negotiators’ best efforts, there’s a high likelihood of a distraught, armed suspect’s demons roaring in a spasm of violence aimed at himself or others.

Given that police are charged with trying to peacefully resolve a troubled suspect’s violent (and potentially last) act, it is important to recognize the efforts many officers undertake to influence the earlier chapters of a person’s life — efforts that might someday prevent poor decisions, desperate acts, and senseless violence decades down the road.

Mentoring young people is our calling and mission at the National Police Athletic/Activities League, which I have the privilege of leading. Police officers have a unique opportunity to make a positive difference in people’s lives, especially the lives of children impacted by trauma, poverty, family strife, illness, or simply a lack of direction and confidence. Simply put, they have the opportunity to change — indeed to save — lives.

The hundreds of peace officers working with our local PAL chapters embrace this opportunity every day. Their impact on the communities they serve can reverberate for far longer they may ever realize.

Recently, a woman approached my wife and me as we left a restaurant. Having recognized me, she recalled something that happened 20 years earlier, when I was an active duty police officer and she, then as now, was working at the family-owned restaurant. That day, a group of citizens and police officers in our New Jersey community cooked more than 50 turkeys and delivered them to the homeless and needy. The impact of what we set in motion that day has endured: two decades later, that woman and other community members are still feeding those in need every Saturday with the help of local youths.

We need good police officers, and a lot of them, to deter and arrest criminals, certainly, and we also need them to help our youth make wise decisions that lead to better, safer, more successful lives. As our country continues to grapple with the devastating consequences of violence committed by young people on the streets, at home, and in schools, the value of officers mentoring young people is more obvious than ever. At National PAL, where we coordinate and support the work of our local chapters, I have the privilege of seeing how police across the country are cultivating these relationships.

Through Detroit PAL’s Coolin’ with Cops program, officers engage with youth football players and their families through the simple act of providing water during summer practices.

Waterbury (Conn.) PAL’s Youth Employment program helps nearly 160 kids gain real-world work experience and essential life skills through diverse programming, including culinary arts training guided by professional chefs and nutritionists.

The Moorhead PAL in northwest Minnesota plays a hockey game against local youths every year. After every game, officers and kids gather for a meal and conversation. While the officers have yet to take a game from the kids, they have won something much more significant: camaraderie, and trust.

Locally, Boston PAL has cultivated trust and respect between police and kids for 40 years and is expanding statewide as PAL of Massachusetts. Last summer, PAL partnered with AT&T to provide 200 refurbished laptops and backpacks stuffed with school supplies to Boston students who needed them, and also supported a Special Olympics of Massachusetts basketball tournament. Meanwhile, in western Massachusetts, kids from the Greater Westfield PAL learn teamwork and build confidence and self-esteem on rock-climbing trips and host an annual Veterans Day breakfast for those who served their country.

Their efforts are a sharp rebuke to the critics who would cast all police agencies as militarized, occupying forces. The opposite, actually, is true. Law enforcement officers with PAL chapters across the country are tirelessly engaging young people to build lasting relationships based on trust and respect. Their efforts, usually undertaken with no recognition or fanfare, showcase the true heart of law enforcement: a genuine desire to improve the lives of others through fellowship and engagement.

Every child they reach is less likely to become an adult who, on his worst day, sees no other solution to his problems than committing violence against others or himself.

Christopher Hill is the Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of Police Athletic/Activities Leagues and a retired Sergeant from the Howell Township, N.J., Police Department.