Toledo-Lucas County PAL's Youth Center Program

The OJJDP FY 10 Earmarks Program furthers the Department's mission by providing grants, cooperative agreements, and other assistance authorized by the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, as amended, to organizations identified in the Conference Report to accompany the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010 (P.L. 111-117), H.R. Conf. Rep. No. 111-366 at 702-714.

The Toledo-Lucas County PAL's goal is to prevent juvenile violence and crime by providing athletic, recreational and educational opportunities to youth. The activities currently offered by PAL include baseball, boxing, dodge ball, life skills classes, and tutoring programs. These activities provide resources to support and empower youth while providing constructive use of time during after school hours. PAL uses these opportunities to create trust and understanding between police officers and youth. Studies have shown that if a young person respects a police officer they are more likely to respect the law. This respect is beneficial to youth, police, business, neighborhoods and the community as a whole. PAL's programs are catered to youth age 10-17, with hopes of reaching out to children at a young enough age that it will stick with them into adulthood. PAL plans to increase the number of youth each year, decrease risk factors for negative behavior, and increase protective factors. PAL's program goals will be measured by researching statistics, keeping track of youth that sign up, and having the youth participate in a survey.

NCA/NCF