Five Towns Community Center partners with Nassau County PAL

Looking to reap the benefits of improved relations between police officers and local residents, the Five Towns Community Center, in Lawrence, is partnering with the Nassau County Police Department to bring Police Activity League programs to the center by the end of the fall.

The Nassau County PAL, which operates in 40 communities, is a tax-exempt, nonprofit organization operated by an executive board and a board of trustees. The NCPD provides officers to oversee the PAL units and to establish a rapport with the youngsters in those communities.

While PAL usually includes youth sports leagues such as football, basketball and soccer, there will also be non-sports activities offered at the community center: a performing arts program, a robotics club and the Explorer program, which will send young people who are interested in careers in law enforcement to a training facility in Mineola.

K. Brent Hill, the center’s executive director, said that partnering with the NCPD has been a topic of discussion at the center for a few months. “We’re strong advocates of youth development, and we’re happy that Commissioner [Patrick] Ryder chose to partner with us,” Hill said. “We’re really excited to take a holistic approach to leading young people to where their desires are. The great thing about the program is that the PAL are providing the resources for this.”

Sasha Young is the founder of Gammy’s Pantry, a food bank run by the center. She is also the head of its youth advocacy. Young said she was excited about the partnership. “After our recent meeting with the Police Department, they said that they’re happy to partner with us, and we’ll be bringing back the PAL to our building,” she said. “We are thrilled to be a part of this new opportunity for our teens and young adults. We’ll be looking for volunteers.”

Ryder met with community center representatives at NCPD headquarters in Mineola on July 30 to discuss the idea. Inwood resident Edwin Rodriguez, who works with Gammy’s Pantry, took part in the meeting, and said that Ryder was receptive. “I’m looking forward to the new PAL program and all that it means for the youth in our area,” Rodriguez said. “It’s more important now than ever to provide young people in our community a chance to explore opportunities instead of relying on the street.”

Young said she planned to send out a survey to determine what programs the community wants. “We’re focusing on starting with soccer and basketball as well as a Lego building class,” she said. “We also have a cheer and dance program in the works.”

Alexis Acosta, who is also involved with Gammy’s Pantry, sat in on the meeting. “It was great to go to police headquarters to meet with Commissioner Ryder and express the ideas we brought forward in our youth group,” Acosta said. “We’re really excited for the future.”

Inwood resident Brian Walsh will serve as one of the volunteer coaches when the athletics program kicks off in the fall. “Both of my kids play sports, and it’s important for children to play sports, as it helps give them confidence and helps structure their lives as well,” Walsh said. “With this pandemic, it’s been hard to get kids moving, as they’ve been stuck in the house on their computers. It’s important to get them out and about.”

Hill added that a town hall meeting with Ryder is scheduled to take place in September to detail the programs being offered. Hill also noted the long-term importance of the shared effort with NCPD. “When looking at this partnership in the long term, I think it can help bridge the gap between law enforcement and community,” he said. “One way to do that is to include people from the community in this partnership. It helps when people can easily identify with law enforcement.”