ESTABLISHING A DC POLICE ATHLETIC LEAGUE: A ROAD TO REDUCTION IN YOUTH VIOLENCE

Youth violence remains a critical challenge facing many American communities and is increasing in lethality. A pilot Police Athletic League program established in two Police Service Areas in the Sixth District will help decrease youth violence in these high poverty, low-income, extremely violent neighborhoods of 602 and 604. A Police Athletic League program should be proposed to the District Commander of the Sixth District, David Taylor, who we will pass on and endorse the proposal for approval to the Chief of Police, Cathy Lanier. Police Athletic Leagues in other cities and states have proven to be effective in reducing youth violence. Outcomes show that 97% of participants of the Philadelphia Police Athletic League feel safer when they are at a PAL center. U.S. Department of Justice statistics document that juvenile crime triples between the hours of 3pm and 6pm, which shows the need for youth to be involved in positive after-school activities during this portion of the day, which the Police Athletic League program will provide. The World Health Organization has determined that preventing youth violence requires a comprehensive approach that also addresses the social determinants of violence, such as income inequality, rapid demographic and social change, and low levels of social protection. Thus, the World Health Organization, among others, views the issue of youth violence as a public health issue. The establishment of the Police Athletic League does not solve the problem of youth violence as efficiently or effectively as a public health strategy may aid in decreasing youth violence. With that, an after-school program like the Police Athletic League can be seen as part of the solution, but not the only solution or the entire solution