June 1991 - San Francisco Police Officers Association

June, 1991 Notebook Page 17-..---- 04 N FRANC —'For Additional InformationPhone PAL 821-141101 ksPAL otcp O'C1104 111*0S0601*4*Ron ExleyDir. Program Developmenten aPark Safety TopNeighborhood ConcernCalifornia Office Of Criminal JusticePlanning Research UpdateThe word "park" conjures up idyllic imagesof rolling acres of grass, leafy trees,the distant sounds of a softball game, andchildren at play, lost in their own worlds.Unfortunately, the current reality, especiallyin large cities, is quite different.Many parks today have been disruptedby the invasion of gang members, drugdealers, addicts and transients. The result:graffiti, litter, violence ... even death.Perhaps the most dramatic such incident- and one that created headlines aroundthe world - was the April, 1989 attack ona woman jogger in New York's CentralPark. The woman was chased into a gullyby teenagers who then beat her, raped herand left her for dead.Last Fall, a group of 160 parents andchildren marched on Sacramento's NorthgatePark to protest the death of a sixyear-old-girlwho was killed when she wascaught in a gang-related drive-by shootingat the park.Despite the ever-increasing violence,determined park directors are fighting back.They are working with local law enforcementand the community to take back theparks and make them, once more, the sfecenters of neighborhood life they used tobeṪhe first step, in most cases, has beena clear recognition of the problem. Parkdirectors and staffs are not to blame for thecrime and violence that has invaded theirdomain; rather, the problems of gangs anddrugs are community-wide and have spilledover into every corner of the city - evenparks.After pinpointing the problem, parkdirectors must essentially rewrite their jobdescription. They can no longer focus exclusivelyon leisure and recreation activities;instead, they must become safety directorsas well.Creating a safe and secure park environmentrequires two approaches: the shortterm,which calls for direct securitymeasures to fight off criminal influences,and the long-term, which calls for usingpublic relations to galvanize the communityfrom apathy to involvement.Letter To Al HowensteinExecutive Director OfCriminal Justice PlanningIt is the San Francisco Recreation andPark Department and the SFPD throughits PAL program that is making parks inSan Francisco safe. As you have said,"problem-oriented policing is vital in cityparks, where the complex issues of gangs,drugs, drinking and violence affect communityresidents, local youth and parkstaff."One of the key terms of our program hasbeen the designation of off-duty police officerspatrolling the parks and organizingactivities for the youth. These specialpatrols in the park were organized by localcommunity groups in an effort to return theparks back to its youth and seniors.Although law enforcement is an importantpart of keeping parks safe,neighborhood involvement is the key aswell as park staff providing constructiveleadership or activities.An example of this occurred last fallwhen neighbors, community leaders andpolice created the special patrol of BoedekkerPark in the Tenderloin demanding anend to the violence, drinking and drug dealingthere. One day last year, I counted 400people loitering and drinking in the park.Within 6 months, the park is cleaner andsafer. The other day oly 25 people werehanging around in the park. Attendance atthe Recreation and Park sponsored activitieshas risen 49%.Parks are a very important need foryoung people by providing recreational andsocial services. Children need to bephysically as well as mentally educated.The opportunities to participate in physicalactivities that emphasize character-buildingskills - such as cooperation, respect forothers and for oneself, offers the youth importantlife lessons.We should realize youths often joingangs out of a need for companionship,camaraderie, identity and belonging. Also,drug abuse often is facilitated by a perceivedlack of positive alternatives, low selfesteemand negative peer pressure. Adultswho share the responsibility for shapingyoung people's lives should be familiar withjuvenile behavior and work to direct theirneeds toward more positive, socially acceptablealternatives to gangs and drugs.Offering physical education and outdoorrecreation are not panaceas for youth involvementin drug and gangs. But providingsafe, welcoming parks with coordinated,age appropriate activities is an importantstep that parks and recreation leaders cantake to most effectively posture themselvesas key players in youth drug abuse andgang suppression efforts.The SFPD and the Recreation and ParkDepartment are proud of the joint programsat Oceanview and Boedekker Parks;NRA and PAL Team Up To EducateChildren On Rules Of Gun SafetyFederal officials estimate that there areclose to 200 million guns in the UnitedStates. Guns are in approximately one-halfof all American households. Ownershipranges from BB and pellet guns to sportingand military guns. There is a greatchance that children will come in contactwith a gun at some time during their younglives. Relatives and neighbors own guns,often hidden, but the possibility exists thatchildren may find them. From their earliestawareness, children are exposed to gunsthrough cartoons, television shows andmovies. Their curiosity is aroused. Thisprogram is designed to teach young childrenhow to be safe around guns.The Gun Safety program is forKindergarten through 6th grade and it willbe inaugurated into the Drug EducationDepartment.Two safety practices are taught to thechildren!1. Only with a parent or with parental permissionand adult supervision should achild be around guns.2. Stop. Don't touch. Leave the area. Tellan adult.The purpose of this program is to promotethe protection and safety of children,not to teach whether guns are good or bad.Parents are encouraged to teach valuesand good judgement to their children regardingproper use of guns.Sacramento Prepares Ringside ForNational PAL Boxing ChampionshipSacramento, California site of the"California Gold Rush" in the 1800's, willbe the location of the "Gold Rush" in 1991.Gold medals that is.Beautiful Arco Arena is where the topamateur boxers in the country will convergeupon in October to vie for theprestigious title of National PAL BoxingChampion. The champions will join theranks of other PAL boxers such as "WorldChampions" Tony Lopez, Loreto Garza,Evander Holyfield, Iron Mike Tyson and"Smokin Joe" Frasier, to mention a few.Monty Morse, Executive Director ofSacramento PAL and whose PAL BoxingClub has produced two world champions,is really excited to host one of the bestamateur boxing tournaments in the world."We have been seeking this championshiptournament for a long time and we're excitedabout having it just prior to the Olympics.We're sure that the serious boxers inthis event could very well end up on theU.S. Olympic Boxing Team," says Morse.Sport channel America will televise theevent from Arco Arena, home of the NBASacramento Kings.San Francisco PAL's Jimmy Ford will bethere. Coach Vigil, get to work, createthose winners.Two PAL Cadets Help MuniWipe Out GraffitiIn the upcoming months, you should seea lot less graffiti on Muni buses and trainsif the innovative, new anti-graffiti campaignproves as effective as its organizers hope.Muni's Graffiti Prevention Program hasrecently implemented several graffiti cleanup,education and prevention projects. Theprograms aim to keep the city free of scarringscrawl and to channel frustrated youngartists' energies in positive ways.Youth who are caught writing on Muniproperty and elsewhere are put through arigorous program.Kids who are caught are put throughPAYS (Parent and Youth Session). Thatis where the real enforcement occurs. Theygo through an educational session aboutwhy graffiti is wrong with their parents, andthen they go out with the young counselorson Saturdays to clean up graffiti.Youth counselors Polo Gonzalez (PALCadet), Paul Silk (PAL Cadet), KeithJones, Verdell Martin, and WalterArgumedo provide positive models for theyoung offenders and a necessary link totheir adult authority figures. The counselorssupervise the Saturday clean-up."Most of the kids we work with say theydo graffiti because of peer pressure," saidGonzalez. "We let them know there areother ways to express themselves."The prevention program seeks to dealwith all aspects of the graffiti problem andto give viable alternatives to youths.Muni received a grant from PacificTelesis to implement the Graffiti PreventionProgram. The program on the wholecosts less than cleaning graffiti.What's HappenedApril 25th, Dan Boden led 50 youthfrom Flynn School to Marine World.April 26th, thanks to the Bass Foundation,especially to Hilary for her leadership,47 youth also from Flynn School boardeda Muni Bus for Pier 39. The Blue and Goldboat was waiting. The kids boarded andenjoyed themselves. Off to the 30 minuteshowing of the San Francisco Experience.Can you imagine a line of 47 kids and eightadults waiting for a hot dog and a soda atone of the Cable Car stands? Believe it ornot?, it only took 20 minutes for all to beserved. Then it was off to the arcade.April 27th, "Camp Pier 39." The PALwas one of 33 community groups presentfor this event at Pier 39. The celebrationbegan at noon with PAL Cadets NathanAsbury and Dominic Bogni presenting thecolors. The Little Zion Baptist ChurchChoir under the directorship of MonaShields, Rochelle Walker and KennethBoyd came next. Sgt. Leach has coordinatedthe choir to represent the PAL atspecial events.May 2nd, our special volunteer, PamVarni had a baby boy. Congratulationsfrom the PAL Staff.May 11th, 50 well deserved youth fromFlynn School attended a day at GreatAmerica. PAL provided the tickets, and theyouth through candy sales raised moneyfor a bus and the teachers who attended.May 14th, The 3rd Annual PAL/GiantsClinic at Balboa Park was a great success.MCI sponsored the event by providingeach participant with a Giants painter'scap. Pier 39 gave each youth the newestmagazine "KID SPORTS." 636 youth,parents, teachers, coaches and park directorscame with their teams. The Giantswere represented by Mike Sadek, CoachesFahey and Kim, pitcher Rob Beck, RickHeron and Mario and Valerie of Marketing.Special thanks to Capt. Gleason, CommanderArnold, Officer Rich Andrews, OfficerJim Gaan, Officer Dan Boden, OfficerSteve Rato, Monica Lamb, and Sister Sandyof OLM.Coach FaheySillMay 29th, 24 youth from Ulloa Schoolenjoyed PAL day at Pier 39. The youth gota bay cruise on the Blue and Gold, a tourof downtown on the motorized Cable Car,seen the San Francisco Experience and gota hot dog and soda before going to the arcade.Thanks to Debra Farb of the BassFoundation, Pier 39 and the Blue and GoldFleet.PAL's Of The GiantsRookie LeagueThe pitcher is ready. The teams are beingformed by Ashley Rhodes, RecreationCoordinator for Housing Authority, andOfficer Rich Andrews, Ingleside. Leaf,Donruss baseball cards, is sponsoring the2nd year of the Rookie League. We are stilllooking for teams from housing developmentin the city. There will be two diversions,7-9 year old and 10-12 year old with18 teams in each division.At the Giants/Pirate game on June 15th,PAL Cadets will be at each gate collectingold or used balls, bats, golves, etc. If youdon't attend the game - send them to thePAL Office at the Academy. The openinggame of the season is on July 2nd at 11:30A.M. at Balboa Park. Members of theGiants will be there.Events In JuneJune 15th, Recycle Day on old bats,balls, gloves, etc., at Candlestick Park.June 29th, PAL Soccer Fest for ages5-11 at Polo Fields.July 2nd, Opening of Rookie League at11:30 A.M. Balboa Park - San FranciscoGiants will be present.7Li REIN -STSfl2 SIWON lO-1fl TON 'SOWN- kITCHEN0WL .l- ATeAFFE- SPORTIN 811N FRANCISCO-FRESH - SAUCE EVER1D01-ARue- AiO - HEL3-1OUR- HEARTlOOtTO-OieW-tNER-