Police Activities League (PAL)

The Watsonville Police Activities League (PAL) works with the Watsonville Police Department and the City of Watsonville to provide a youth crime prevention program. PAL relies on educational, athletic, and other recreational activities to cement a bond among police officers, recreation leaders, youth and their parents. PAL is a nonprofit organization that is funded by community sponsors/donations and grant programs. The PAL Program is designed to give youth a chance to better themselves and become a positive influence within their community.

Active Programs

The programs that are currently active are:
  • Boxing
  • Martial Arts (Karate, Aikido, Judo)
  • Soccer
  • Various leadership/team building opportunities
PAL has proven that youth sports are a tool in juvenile crime prevention. Participating children adhere to a code of conduct, involving academic achievement, community service and proper standards of character. Thanks to the dedication of concerned residents and businesses, underprivileged and at-risk youth have the opportunity to interact and compete with kids from all over the state in recreational, cultural, and character building activities.

Program Requirements

PAL requires that police officers develop a personal friendship with those they serve. Watsonville PAL serves youth 4 to 20 years of age depending on the program. If you are interested please call 831-763-4147 for more information on the programs that are being offered.


Statement

We, as police officers, know that we must do everything we can to get to children before they get involved with drugs or gangs. Please remember that Watsonville PAL is strong because of community support and without the support of concerned residents like you, we cannot reach out to the youth in our community.

Goals

The goal of Watsonville PAL is to guide youth toward responsible and mature citizenship; provide a common platform of growth for police officers, youth, and residents; encourage the principle of goodwill, friendship, and sportsmanship.

History

PAL began in the 1930s and was developed by New York police officer Ed Flynn. Flynn who liked kids, asked youth gang members why they took part in antisocial behavior. Their answer was "There's no place to play and nothing to do. The cop's are always hassling us."

Officer Flynn talked this over with his fellow officers and neighborhood shopkeepers. Each chipped in a dollar for equipment and baseball uniforms. Locating a playground, a team was formed and proved to be an instant success. Before the year ended, there were close to a dozen such teams in the city. That was the birth of PAL.

PAL has since broadened its scope to include arts and crafts, dance, music, drama, social services, vocational guidance, remedial reading, field trips, and virtually any healthy activity that young people enjoy. PAL programs have the liberty of choosing those activities popular for the areas they serve. Please check out Watsonville PAL for more information on what is being offered in this community.

Additional Information

For more information on PAL activities please call 831-763-4147, or email us. We are located at 130 Rodriguez Street, Watsonville, CA 95076 and 37 Davis Avenue, Freedom, CA 95019.