Following an incident on Easter Sunday that made national headlines, community policing in Syracuse is getting a closer look. Video of an 8-year-old boy's interaction with police after being accused of stealing a bag of chips went viral last week, leaving critics upset with how the child was treated. However, department members say there was a bigger story to be told.

Syracuse police officers involved knew the child involved, according to Syracuse Police Chief Joe Cecile at a press conference Thursday, through both other alleged incidents as well as an athletic league that is connecting city kids with officers.

"We have officers now playing soccer, baseball, golf with children, and this is one of those cases, children we're interacting with on the street for committing crimes. So there are multiple things we are trying to do," said Cecile at the event. 

The Syracuse Police Athletic League, or PAL, is an effort of community policing that's working to improve police-community interactions.

Director of Community Engagement for the Syracuse Police Department Jimmy Oliver runs PAL, which is by design to build relationships between young people and law enforcement. Oliver says through it, they do hands-on activates like basketball as a way to connect with each other.

“This is where it starts. Planting those seeds, building those relationships. This is where is starts,” said Oliver.

Oliver says he grew up on the west side of Syracuse and knows better than anyone the importance of having good role models.

“What I was seeing every single day growing up, my principals and coaches were like, ‘We need to expose Jimmy to something else. So he can make a decision on what he wanted to do,'” said Oliver.

Oliver's been working with kids and teens for 20 years. He says the key to forming bonds with them is competition, caring adults and food.

“This type of one-on-one, you get to have conversations, you get to crack jokes and not taking it serious. You’re getting some exercise and this is what good relationships look like,” said Oliver.

PAL only started last summer, and they already have more than 2,000 kids involved.

“It’s a dream come true. It’s something that I dreamed about a year ago when a lot of people were saying it wasn’t gonna happen. To see folks out here taking time, officers, our different partners out here playing with kids. The kids are enjoying it and having a good time and that’s what it's about,” said Oliver.