The end of the Baltimore Police Athletic Leagues I wrote about on Sunday may have been a forgone conclusion based on the level of funding recently -- $161,000 -- compared to $1.6 million back when the program was run as a nonprofit, but judging from comments I received this weekend, residents still think it is one of the few things that works in Baltimore. Fourteen PAL Centers are to be handed over to the Department of Recreation and Parks on July 1; two are closing and two others are being given to the city school system. Here are some responses:

My name is Stephanie McKee and I am a student at the Maryland Institute College of Art. I need your help.

I know of a captivating story that requires the attention of local Baltimore residents: In a month, the city is planning on closing an after school Police Athletic League center that is a thriving, pro-active necessity to my neighborhood. The PAL center hosts 150-200 people (kids to adults) every day, and is run by Edna Price (a retired officer) and Terry Grahm, (an active officer). The mayor and the Baltimore City Police want to close the PAL center, or put it under the care of Recreation and Parks (which charges for everything - even the after-school program that is currently free)
The PAL center's small bank account is comprised of donated money, which the Police want to use (along with officer Terry) on the streets, in the reactive police force.  Edna would be out of a job, and almost a hundred kids would go home to parent-less homes (or worse) after school.

Some local residents are organizing a petition, but I fear that It won't be enough. I have emailed Mayor Shelia Dixon about this, hoping to discuss it further.

And another form Leticia Fitts, a nonprofit that is partnering with a the William C. Marshal PAL on Pennsylvania Avenue:

UPTON COMMUNITY CALL FOR ACTION

Last week Mayor Dixon proposed budget cuts in city services which include closing recreation centers and swimming pools and reduce library hours.  The Robert C. Marshall Recreation Center , located at1201 Pennsylvania Avenue , is proposed as a one of the recreation centers to be managed by the Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks.  This would conclude the current management performed by the Baltimore City Police Athletic League. 

The PAL center just recently partnered with the nonprofit organization, Noble Enrichment for Children and Youth, Inc. (NECY), to expand and broaden its services and meet the diverse need of the youth in the Central District of Baltimore City.

During the March 2009 Upton Planning Committee meeting we met and heard the mission of the NECY organization.  Additionally, UPC recognized the continued efforts from Officer Charles Lee and his assistant CSO Mary Douglas.

The Upton neighborhood organizations are encouraged to weigh the pros and cons and share your thoughts on this matter with our city councilman, William Cole no later than Tuesday, March 31st…if you have not already.  Please send your “neighborhood” input in writing and send to: William.cole@baltimorecity.gov and Anthony.jones2@baltimorecity.gov.

And a third:

Hi Peter – I was very sorry to see your article in today’s Sun that the PAL centers are changing hands and/or closing. In 2001, I was hired by the non-profit arm of PAL to do a study of the PAL Centers and found that the difference of having the police officers onsite was the key characteristic that made parents and youth feel safe about their attendance. There were also a variety of additional benefits as well, including seeing police officers in a positive light. In 2003, I worked with the Johns Hopkins Center for Adolescent Health to look further at the characteristics of each center. On each occasion, while there were recommendations for improvement of the program, the PAL center youth model was shown to be a productive and important one for youth development in some very dangerous communities. My work with Youth Crime Watch of America has also shown me that the presence and participation of police officers in some of these programs is crucial.

I realize that the program lost political interest in the period following my studies, but if there is an avenue to present any of the information again, I would be glad to do it. It seems pretty clear it is too late, but if you think there is any platform in which to share this information, I’d be glad to.

Thanks for your interest in the program,

Christy Olenik

For more information on the NECY program, please visit www.necy.org or contact Ms. Leticia Fitts, program coordinator and director of academic affairs at necy_inc@yahoo.com.