About Us

National History
The National Police Athletic League (PAL) started in 1912 when Lt. Flynn of the New York Police Department offered inner city youth some positive experiences with police officers. These police officers volunteered their time to coach baseball, play stick ball in the streets, and mentor youth. Today, PAL serves more than 1.5 million youth ages 5 to 18. PAL has over 300 chapters and 1700 centers worldwide.

Local History
The mission of the Police Athletic League of the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department is to offer youth the opportunity to interact with police officers in a positive setting while participating in cultural, mentoring and sports programs with the main emphasis being placed on academics. The PAL program serves as a constructive alternative to anti-social behavior and boredom during the developmental years and into adulthood. The mission is facilitated through the daily operation of the PAL centers, through the operation of sports leagues and through cultural activities, such as field trips. In all PAL activities, a life skills curriculum is presented by PAL officers and all PAL youth are required to maintain a 2.0 grade point average in school or attend tutoring and make a good faith effort to raise their GPA.
 
The Kansas City Missouri Police Department PAL program started as a community-oriented policing project in 1994 through the Westside CAN Center in CPD. In 1998, PAL obtained membership in the National Association of Police Athletic Leagues and incorporated as a not for profit 501(c)3 organization (PAL, Inc.) with a board of directors and certification in the state of Missouri. As a not-for-profit corporation, all PAL activities are funded through private donations and grants. No PAL activities are funded by the department. Through an agreement with PAL Inc., the department has agreed to provide law enforcement personnel as staff, and office space only as available.
 
The PAL Section was formed and centralized in April 2000 and is assigned under the Investigations Bureau, Investigations Support Division, Youth Services Unit with the D.A.R.E., G.R.E.A.T and Juvenile Sections. Currently, two sergeants and seven officers are assigned to the PAL Section. PAL offers at-risk youth in high crime areas the opportunity to interact with police officers in positive after school activities in an effort to reduce juvenile crime.
 
The PAL Section currently operates three PAL Centers in the Kansas City metro area: The CPD PAL Center, located in the Clymer Center at 1301 Vine in the Theron B. Watkins Housing complex; the MPD PAL Center, located at 7575 Monroe in East Hills Apartments Community Center; and the EPD PAL Center opened in the Summer 2001, located at 1801 White in the Blue Valley Recreation Center. The KCMO Parks and Recreation Department closed this center in April 2000. Since reopening the Center, substantial renovations have been made funded by private donations, grants and countless volunteer hours performed by the community and police officers. 
 
PAL offers police officers and other department members not assigned to the PAL Section the opportunity to support PAL programming in several different ways. The sale of PAL merchandise, fundraising events and an annual golf tournament all are open to members to participate with the proceeds benefiting PAL programming. Members can volunteer to assist in program activities or in coaching of teams involved in league play. Members can make monetary donations to PAL at any time, or during the annual United Way campaign, by specifically directing their donation to PAL. To date, a significant amount of volunteer hours are credited to the police department offices and members.
 
For more information or learn how you can get involved with KC PAL, email us or call (816) 241-6816.
 
Also, if you would like to donate to KC PAL and make an immediate impact in the lives of Kansas City youth, please click on the button below.