Age range

Website: www.palkids.org

Mission/Goals: The Police Activities League of Greater Portland provides educational, recreational, and athletic programs to the youth of the Portland metropolitan area with an emphasis on "disadvantaged" youth. PAL strives to connect law enforcement and youth in a positive way.

Note: The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) included National PAL in its Model Program Guide (www.dsgonline.com/mpg_

non_flash/mpg_index.htm). PAL of Greater Portland has been named model chapter of National PAL several times.

Source(s): www.guidestar.org; www.palkids.org

Type of Evaluation: Outcomes Monitoring.

Objective: To examine the influence of two NYSP programs on youth.

Impact/Outcomes: Pre-post test results indicated large increases in youth knowledge and skills. For the Camp Store, the average pre test score was 43% correct and average post test score was 90% correct. On the Yearbook Project test, the average pre test score was less than 1% correct and average post test score was 84% correct. Questions about gang involvement and trust in law enforcement were added for the post tests only. Overall, the sample had some knowledge of and contact with gangs or gang members: 42% reported gangs in their neighborhood; 33% reported gangs in their schools; 31% reported having brothers or sisters in gangs; 49% reported friends in gangs; 22% reported being asked to join a gang at school; and 17% were asked to join a gang in the neighborhood. As for camp influence on gang involvement, 61% of girls and 36% of boys reported that being in this camp prevented them from being in a gang, and 90% of girls and 64% of boys said this camp helped them to say no to being in a gang. Overall, most youth reported that they would go to the police if they, their parents, or their sibling was in trouble. Girls were more likely than boys to report that they would go to a police office all or most of the time.