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From 2021 to 2023, the number of reports of online child enticement received by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children rose more than 300%.

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We marked Safer Internet Day earlier this month, a worldwide campaign to make cyberspace a safer and more responsible place and raise awareness of the threats for young people online to be lured into dangerous, criminal and potentially life-threatening activities. It’s a timely topic here — Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares recently hosted a discussion about the need to protect children from online threats.

“There’s a lot of danger out there, but probably the most danger for our kids is online,” Miyares was quoted as saying. “Your child is not going to meet a child predator in the neighborhood, a parking lot or playground. They’re going to meet him online.”

Today, bad guys lurk in the amorphous world of cyberspace, which for so many kids has displaced the safer meeting spaces — the basketball courts and ballfields, the youth clubs and fast-food joints — that I recall from my youth.

Today’s predators use readily available information and images, like shared milestones or photos, to target and exploit youth. They conduct phishing expeditions on popular social media platforms. Armed with even a little information about someone, predators worm their way into young lives, those who by their nature are innocent, vulnerable and unsuspecting, especially when the predator is posing as a fellow child or teen.

There are cases where kids were lured to meet and then were kidnapped, a leading method for pulling youth into the web of human trafficking. Older boys and girls may think they are invincible, but in fact most abductions involve teenage victims. Other crimes involve sextortion, where youth are persuaded to provide graphic images of themselves and are then extorted by the predator. Soliciting young people to buy drugs, forcing kids to become mules in the localized drug trade, engaging them in theft schemes — all of these occur in cyberspace’s dark corners.

What’s more, as our attorney general noted, constantly developing AI technology provides predators with the dangerous capability to use photos unwittingly shared by children to create fake, disturbing, exploitative images.

The numbers stagger the mind. From 2021 to 2023, the number of reports of online child enticement received by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children rose more than 300%, from 44,155 to 186,819. And they continue to rise. Last year alone, just through early October, the center had received more than 456,000 reports.

Cyber platforms where predators may lurk are everywhere around us, and new sites that appeal to young audiences emerge every day. As has always been true with kids, an activity that becomes popular with others is hard to resist, and not all these platforms have robust protections or safeguards to screen potential predators. Even Smart TVs, gaming consoles and virtual assistant devices connect young people to cyberspace. Esports players often don’t know who they’re competing against and may unintentionally share personal information, opening a virtual window for a predator to climb through.

Growing up in Philadelphia, I never imagined something called cyberspace, let alone how a person whose face I couldn’t see and whose voice I couldn’t hear could hurt me. In my day, the bad guys were known players, and we were all too familiar with the ways they would bully, threaten or do other bad things. 

I had the great fortune to participate in our local Police Athletic League (PAL) where I played sports, took field trips to places I would never have otherwise seen, and received wise counsel and support from adult mentors and coaches, including police officers who volunteered their time.

Just as I had a safe place growing up, and people to steer me away from the bad guys, I want today’s kids to know the same safety, protection and guidance in the place where they most often hang out — cyberspace.

As president of the Board of National Police Athletic and Activities Leagues (National PAL), with 200 chapters nationwide serving 2 million youth, I’m leading an effort to raise awareness about how young people can protect themselves from online danger. One way we’re doing that is through our collaboration with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Know2Protect, a comprehensive cyber safety campaign.

Discussing this topic with young people can be challenging. Yet the ubiquity of cyber activity provides opportunities throughout any given day to remind them that not everyone they meet online has good intentions, and that it’s not safe to share information or images with people they don’t know and trust. 

If you’re a child’s parent, guardian, caregiver, mentor, relative, teacher or friend, please take a moment to discuss online safety with them. It’s our duty to protect them from what lurks in the internet’s dark shadows. 

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The organization is now promoting the significance of youth mental health.

Dr. Galen Duncan is leading that effort, and he joined Jewell Hillery on Sunday’s WGN Weekend Morning News to discuss.

“National PAL is the largest organization that forward-faces young people and police,” Duncan says. “Basically, we provide activities, opportunities, and mindset opportunities for youth to grow.

“… We have 300 PALs worldwide that are providing this type of information and resources to young people.”

Duncan played college basketball at Lake Superior State University in Upper Michigan, graduating with multiple bachelor’s degrees before going on to earn his master’s and PhD. Prior to all of that, he grew up as a “PAL kid” in Detroit, which helped him develop a positive relationship with law enforcement at a young age.

“As a young person growing up in Detroit, oftentimes the police weren’t the people that you would go to. But that was very different for me and my friends,” Duncan says. “We had an opportunity to grow up in a community where police were our mentors, were good to us. They were our coaches, and they taught us that the narrative that police officers aren’t necessarily for young people is a false narrative.

“There’s a few bad apples that make the good bunch look not as good. But the great ones are great, and they have been great to me all my life.”

See the attached video for the full interview.

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“National PAL is an organization where law enforcement officers work with youth on a daily basis to help them navigate through life’s difficult challenges and changes. It’s where officers get a chance to actually give back to the community by working hand-in-hand,” CEO Christopher Hill said.

PAL used to be all about helping kids with activities centered around sports. Now, it includes activities that also help kids who want to enter other fields like social media influencers or careers in criminal justice.

There are PAL programs all over the country. One such program is the Capital Area Police Athletic/Activities League. It consists of several local law enforcement agencies like the Baton Rouge Police Department, East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office and Louisiana State Police. 

“(We) build our relationship and let them know, that we’re here to protect and to serve. Building that relationship, and knowing that they have, and if they have issues, they can come to law enforcement,” BRPD spokesperson Lt. L’Jean McKneely said.

The 25 students are from GEO Next Generation and Collegiate Baton Rouge high schools and will be going with leaders from the Baton Rouge BRidge Agency Inc., an educational nonprofit.

“We’re gonna actually get in on some of their technology skills around AV (audio-visual) work and help with that. We found out some kids wanted to be influencers, so we’re gonna help them to do some interviews with some of the athletes,” Hill said.

One of the students wants to be an attorney and has the opportunity to meet several people from the legal department of New Orleans during the trip.

“My career aspiration is to be a criminal defense attorney. I have over $600,000 in scholarships. I’m close to a million,” GEO senior Dantasia Davis.

The students say they are grateful to BRidge and National PAL for providing them with this opportunity.

“This program has really helped me become a better person and learn how to speak up for myself and say when I need help,” GEO sophomore Jazyra Bell said.

National PAL has several former “PAL Kids” playing in this year’s Super Bowl including Eagles players Brandon Graham and Mekhi Becton.

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When officers confront someone who is emotionally disturbed and inclined to violence, they try – as SAPD did – to negotiate a peaceful surrender. But once a personal crisis has reached that point, it is often too late: despite negotiators’ best efforts, there’s a high likelihood of a distraught, armed suspect’s demons roaring in a spasm of violence aimed at himself or others.

Given that police are charged with trying to peacefully resolve a troubled suspect’s violent (and potentially last) act, it is important to recognize the efforts many officers undertake to influence the earlier chapters of a person’s life — efforts that might someday prevent poor decisions, desperate acts, and senseless violence decades down the road.

Mentoring young people is our calling and mission at the National Police Athletic/Activities League, which I have the privilege of leading. Police officers have a unique opportunity to make a positive difference in people’s lives, especially the lives of children impacted by trauma, poverty, family strife, illness, or simply a lack of direction and confidence. Simply put, they have the opportunity to change — indeed to save — lives.

The hundreds of peace officers working with our local PAL chapters embrace this opportunity every day. Their impact on the communities they serve can reverberate for far longer they may ever realize.

Recently, a woman approached my wife and me as we left a restaurant. Having recognized me, she recalled something that happened 20 years earlier, when I was an active duty police officer and she, then as now, was working at the family-owned restaurant. That day, a group of citizens and police officers in our New Jersey community cooked more than 50 turkeys and delivered them to the homeless and needy. The impact of what we set in motion that day has endured: two decades later, that woman and other community members are still feeding those in need every Saturday with the help of local youths.

We need good police officers, and a lot of them, to deter and arrest criminals, certainly, and we also need them to help our youth make wise decisions that lead to better, safer, more successful lives. As our country continues to grapple with the devastating consequences of violence committed by young people on the streets, at home, and in schools, the value of officers mentoring young people is more obvious than ever. At National PAL, where we coordinate and support the work of our local chapters, I have the privilege of seeing how police across the country are cultivating these relationships.

Through Detroit PAL’s Coolin’ with Cops program, officers engage with youth football players and their families through the simple act of providing water during summer practices.

Waterbury (Conn.) PAL’s Youth Employment program helps nearly 160 kids gain real-world work experience and essential life skills through diverse programming, including culinary arts training guided by professional chefs and nutritionists.

The Moorhead PAL in northwest Minnesota plays a hockey game against local youths every year. After every game, officers and kids gather for a meal and conversation. While the officers have yet to take a game from the kids, they have won something much more significant: camaraderie, and trust.

Locally, Boston PAL has cultivated trust and respect between police and kids for 40 years and is expanding statewide as PAL of Massachusetts. Last summer, PAL partnered with AT&T to provide 200 refurbished laptops and backpacks stuffed with school supplies to Boston students who needed them, and also supported a Special Olympics of Massachusetts basketball tournament. Meanwhile, in western Massachusetts, kids from the Greater Westfield PAL learn teamwork and build confidence and self-esteem on rock-climbing trips and host an annual Veterans Day breakfast for those who served their country.

Their efforts are a sharp rebuke to the critics who would cast all police agencies as militarized, occupying forces. The opposite, actually, is true. Law enforcement officers with PAL chapters across the country are tirelessly engaging young people to build lasting relationships based on trust and respect. Their efforts, usually undertaken with no recognition or fanfare, showcase the true heart of law enforcement: a genuine desire to improve the lives of others through fellowship and engagement.

Every child they reach is less likely to become an adult who, on his worst day, sees no other solution to his problems than committing violence against others or himself.

Christopher Hill is the Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of Police Athletic/Activities Leagues and a retired Sergeant from the Howell Township, N.J., Police Department.

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As I’m sure you are all aware, the devastating fires in Southern California have caused widespread damage. We have confirmed that several of our NPAL chapter members have experienced significant losses, including the destruction of valued property and cherished memories. Thankfully, we have not received any reports of loss of life or injury to our members.

At the National office, we are closely monitoring the situation and working to provide support where it is needed most. In response, we are launching the National PAL California Fire Relief campaign to assist our affected members. We are accepting monetary contributions to help provide immediate relief and recovery efforts.

If you or your supporters would like to contribute to this important cause, please visit our website and choose from a variety of donation options to support the relief efforts. If donating via check, please make it payable to the National PAL California Fire Relief Fund.

Thank you for your continued support as we come together to help those in need during this difficult time.

Sincerely,

Christopher Hill
Chief Executive Officer

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Washington, D.C., Sept. 25, 2024 – The National Association of Police Athletic / Activities Leagues, Inc. (National PAL) announces today that Dr. Steve Coan has been named executive director and chief operating officer. Dr. Coan, currently a senior administrator at Ripon College in Wisconsin, has been a national leader in developing partnerships between higher education, youth services, and K12 education for decades, and will lead National PAL’s operations and strategic growth.

“Dr. Coan has a history with National PAL, working with many of our chapters over the years to bridge the gap in STEM education for the most disadvantaged youth, and promoting mentoring and partnerships that empower youth,” said Chris Hill, CEO of National PAL. “Having led four organizations as CEO or COO, and consulted with many others, he is a proven non-profit manager who cares deeply about our nation’s youth.”

In his role, Coan will oversee the strategic direction and daily operations, ensuring the effective implementation of programs that support youth development and community engagement across the country. He will also work closely with law enforcement agencies and local chapters to enhance outreach efforts and foster stronger relationships between youth and their communities.

“I have deep admiration for the thousands of PAL volunteers and law enforcement officers across our nation, police officers, sheriffs, campus police, and federal agents, who give their time to help kids, every day, in some of the most forgotten neighborhoods of our country,” Coan said. “PAL reaches places and kids that other agencies cannot or do not, because law enforcement officers, in addition to putting their lives on the line every day, are also at the front line of human need on a daily basis.”

Coan, a native of Boston, hails from a law enforcement family and served for many years on the police commission in Stonington, Connecticut.  He is also a trustee of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation and a commissioner with the New England Commission for Higher Education, a federally recognized accrediting agency for colleges and universities.  Coan is an alumnus of Brandeis University, where he earned a master’s degree in management of youth services and a PhD in social policy.

“I pledge to give my all to assuring that our PAL chapters and kids are not forgotten, and to fight every day for the resources and advocacy that our chapters need to better serve young people,” Coan said.

About National PAL

The National Association of Police Athletic/Activities Leagues, Inc (National PAL) is a nonprofit organization committed to providing youth with opportunities for growth and development through positive engagement with law enforcement. With over 300 chapters nationwide, National PAL serves millions of young people, fostering a safer and more supportive community through mentorship, leadership programs, and recreational activities. To learn more about National PAL’s programs or how to get involved, visit: nationalpal.org.

Media Contact:

Jennifer Mackey

[email protected]

702-672-6117

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