Police Athletic / Activities League
In the fall of 2010, the Garner Police
Department was approached and
asked to play a leading role in the
development of a community-based
program that could provide services
and support to at-risk youth in our
community and in our schools.
Vandora Springs Elementary Schools. Offi cers
and PAAL volunteers collaborate with school
staff to provide support to approximately 10
at-risk students at each school.
Recognizing this as a unique opportunity to
provide additional support to our community,
the Police Department immediately began
development of the Garner Police Athletic/
Activities League, or Garner PAAL.
A Board of Directors was recruited and early in
2011 offi cers were elected and a constitution and
bylaws were developed and adopted. Garner
PAAL also subsequently was approved as a 501(c)
(3) tax-exempt organization. The organization
then developed a mission statement and values
and began working toward the implementation of
programming to begin fulfi lling that mission.
Since the creation of Garner PAAL, organizers
have developed a number school-based
programs, have partnered to integrate PAAL
into an existing after-school program and have
assumed responsibility for the Police Explorer Post.
The following is a summary of programs as of the
2017-2018 school year:
•
•
PAAL hosts weekly after-school clubs of
approximately 15 at-risk students at East
Garner Magnet Middle School and at North
Garner Middle School. The PAAL clubs provide
academic support, intramural sports, fi eld trips
and other activities.
PAAL has implemented biweekly school-
based programs at all six Garner Elementary
Schools—including Aversboro, Creech Road,
East Garner, Rand Road, Timber Drive and
• PAAL is partnering with the Garner Parks,
Recreation and Cultural Resources Department
to attend one day a week at the after-school
program at the Avery Street Recreation Center.
Police offi cers play basketball and other sports
with middle school students and provide
outreach and mentoring.
• PAAL sponsors a biweekly Police Cadet
program that has 10 to 15 teenagers who have
shown interest in law enforcement as a career
and meet to learn more about the profession
while also contributing to Garner through
various volunteer opportunities. This program
is coordinated through the Police Department’s
High School Resource Offi cers program.
Garner PAAL is now partnered with Youth Thrive
of Wake County; Youth Thrive is the home of
the Youth Thrive Network, an avenue to receive
training and technical assistance to help those
helping our young people. PAAL also partners
with Garner United Methodist Church to co-host
an annual “Back to School Bash” in August that
provides school supplies and a day of fun and
games to at-risk Garner-area youth. Garner PAAL
continues to seek corporate and community
sponsorships to provide the resources for its
efforts while also planning for a future PAAL
clubhouse in Garner where it will provide athletics,
mentoring and tutoring for youth as well as
parent and family programming.
More information on the PAAL program can be
found on the PAAL website at garnerpaal.org
and in the Garner PAAL 2017 Strategic Plan (on
the website). You can also follow Garner PAAL
on Twitter(@GarnerPAAL).
garnernc.gov
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