If you stop by the Albany Police Athletic League building on Madison Avenue, you’ll find kids being kids.

“Our whole purpose here is to make a difference for the youth in the community,” said Allie Robert, program manager at the Police Athletic League (PAL).

The organization brings city police officers and kids together under one roof, creating what is, hopefully, a long lasting bond.

“A lot of people see us police officers as just that,” said Lawan Cancer, a police officer and PAL volunteer. “But a lot of them don’t know that most of us are all human.”

It’s been a great outlet for Albany’s youth for more than 30 years. But it’s been an especially important resource for families over the past year due to the pandemic and increasing gun violence around the city.

What You Need To Know

  • PAL was founded as a youth development program that brings kids and cops together in non-law enforcement settings

  • PAL serves more than 300 kids with various afterschool programming

  • Capital Holiday Lights in Washington Park helps generate about a third of PAL’s funding every year

“It's so important to be able to provide such a safe place when everywhere else maybe isn’t safe for them,” said Robert.

But this productive, fun and safe retreat could soon be in jeopardy.

Capital Holiday Lights in Washington Park has served as a major fundraiser for PAL for more than two decades. But people living around the park are concerned the annual tradition that attracts more than 100,000 people is getting out of hand.

“We want it to be a very comprehensive, thoughtful approach that helps not only the park, the community, our kids, businesses,” said David Bauer, PAL board chairman.

He says a committee will deliver a report to city leaders later this month.

In the meantime, it's full steam ahead for the PAL kids and its law enforcement volunteers, which is good news for many parents like Janel Anderson.

“Being an essential worker, it was so important to have a safe place where I can send my children,” she said.

Anderson says her son, Major, had issues fitting into other afterschool programs and was running out of options until he visited the PAL center.

“I’ve seen improvements in behavior,” she said. “I have seen him be more helpful and be more involved all around.”

That's music to Robert’s ears.

“We are that place where they can be themselves, they can feel safe, be happy and live freely,” said Robert.