DPD outlines youth, senior and community programs and plans new pop-up outreach

Danny Young, manager of the Office of Community Affairs, presented the department's community-outreach programs and proposed initiatives for 2026.

Young described the Police Activity League (PAL) — an active program with two gyms and about 100 participants weekly — and a youth soccer camp run with local partners that has served more than 600 children since 2022. He highlighted the Police Explorer program for ages 14–21, noting that several explorers participate in statewide competitions and that Explorer experience is being evaluated for possible waivers of work-experience requirements for children with six or more years in the program.

The department runs senior-citizen safety workshops (more than 500 seniors served since 2022) and a back-to-school health and safety fair that has provided roughly 7,500 backpacks and services over the past three years. Young said the department will host boxing education camps with Roy Jones Jr. and launch "Ask a Cop Pop Up," a social-media-focused outreach format targeting younger residents.

Council members asked about coordination with local nonprofit organizations (NPOs), marketing and how the programs reach neighborhoods. Young said structural changes moved some NPOs into divisions but that collaborations continue and MPO sergeants and lieutenants meet weekly with Community Affairs. Several council members encouraged more proactive neighborhood outreach and cross-promotion with existing youth organizations.