Reaching for the Stars: A Qualitative Examination of a Police-Youth Program in Los Angeles

• In Event: Lightning Talk: Policing: Theory, Diversity, Enforcement, & Partnerships

Abstract

It is noted that community policing works best when the police collaborates with communities as partners in identifying solutions to social issues such as crime, crime prevention, and quality-of-life concerns. One commonly adopted strategy by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) for preventing crime among youth is to collaborate with local youth in the community in groups—namely, The Police Activities League (PAL). PAL is a national program model, which was founded in New York City in 1914 that was created to reduce tensions between police officers and youth. Each PAL program is unique to the community it serves, and the size and strength of each PAL program depends on its stakeholders. The PAL program utilizes police officers and volunteers to serve as mentors for the youth by creating a safe and nurturing environment for local youth and their families. Preliminary findings from a qualitative examination of an LAPD PAL program will be discussed in this lightning talk presentation.

Authors

• Eric Gamino, California State University, Northridge

• Omar Camarillo, Eastern New Mexico University