Every Tuesday and Thursday beginning July 7th and concluding August 13th, the inaugural PAL (Police Athletic League) Summer Basketball League operated at the Boys and Girls Club of the Mohawk Valley in Utica. The league was spearheaded by the Oneida County Youth Bureau and was a collaborative effort with the Boys and Girls Club, the City of Utica, The Community Foundation and most importantly the Utica Police Department.
 

The league consisted of 8 teams of 10 players on each team. Each team was coached by a police officer volunteering their time. There were 4 games played every Tuesday and Thursday.
The first game started at 6 and the last game started at 9. For 4+ hours, 2 evenings a week,
80 participants and 100+ spectators were involved in a safe, positive program/environment. “I think the league was really fun. The coaches (police officers) were real cool and they helped out a lot. The league took a lot of kids off the streets. I think the league should happen every summer so kids could enjoy themselves instead of messing up on the streets,” said Matt Cummings, a player in the league. “We got to see the policemen and policewoman as cool people, not bad, but friendly. I think this might help to improve the (police, community) overall relationship.” The sentiment was felt by the police officers as well. “We were able to establish a personal recognition in the community,” Officer Starr Rae Wooden said. “I have already come in contact with athletes that participated in the league along with other Boys and Girls Club members and adults who attended the games and they have recognized me and spoken with me while I am patrolling. Not only were we able to keep the participants off the streets, but their friends were off the streets with them.” Officer Damien Golden offered,” Since the league ended I have spoken with many players from the PAL. I can tell you that they were very thankful for what we did for them. One young man said that he did not think police officers were down to earth people that he could talk to; now that has changed for him. After I heard that, I knew we were on the right track with this program. Nothing is more important to me than to bridge the gap between the police and the youth of this city. “

 

The goal of the league was to give the inter-city youth something they enjoy (basketball) to do as the tool to initiate interaction between the police officers and the youth to improve community relations. We wanted the youth and police officers to see each other in a different light. “I can say that I really enjoyed interacting with the players as well as the staff of the Boys and Girls Club,” Officer Kevin Strife stated. “I think the intercity youth that participated in this venture saw Utica Police Officers in a different light. The interaction between players and coaches will help us in future interactions, whether on the street or at other functions like this one.” “I greatly enjoyed participating in the PAL basketball league,” Officer Patrick Murphy added. “I think it was an excellent opportunity for us as police officers to get to know some of the youth in the community on a different level.”

 

This initiative continues to fulfill County Executive Anthony J. Picente’s Youth Bureau mission; to be pro-active collaborating with agencies, municipalities and school districts to provide safe, positive and innovative programming to all the youth of Oneida County. I would like to thank Wayne Baran, the Executive Director of the Boys and Girls Club of the Mohawk Valley and his dedicated staff, Mayor David R. Roefaro and the City of Utica and The Community Foundation, partners who recognized the value of this extremely worthwhile program and whose involvement made it a reality. Also, I like to thank and recognize Deputy Chief Mark Williams. Deputy Chief Williams was involved and was a huge advocate of this initiative from the early planning stages, through the league’s operation and is the UPD point person as we critique, plan and work to improve the PAL for next year and years to come. Lastly and most importantly, I’d like to thank Police Officers Starr Rae Wooden, Kevin Strife, Patrick Murphy, Damien Golden, Anthony Aurience, David Chrillo, Paul Paladino and Charles Parkosewich who weekly gave above and beyond and volunteered many hours of their time during the summer to make our and your community a better and safer place to live! The police officers willingness and commitment to volunteer was the major reason this initiative was a success.

 

I am proud to live in Oneida County and work for County Executive Picente, who has made reducing gang violence a priority of his administration; last fall the Oneida County Youth Bureau and Compeer of the Mohawk Valley, Inc., distributed 1,200 Gangbuster comic books to agencies that operate after school programs to children in grades 3-6. Also, I am proud to have the opportunity to work closely with agencies, municipalities, organizations and public servants who are genuinely concerned and care enough to do something positive for the betterment of their community.