The Harrisburg Area Police Athletic/Activities League (HAPAL) provides youth initiatives and activities throughout the year. Mentoring through Sports and Life Learners are the main initiatives from which all our programs/activities stem.
Police Athletic League: About Us
The presence of PAL in the United States has a 113-year history. Harrisburg is proud to be a part of that history. There is a tremendous value in longevity. In 1910, Captain John Sweeney, commanding officer of a lower-side police precinct in New York City, began the Police Athletic League, or PAL. In 1937, PAL dedicated its first indoor youth center, and in 1941 it became incorporated under the laws of the state of New York. That was the birth of PAL in the United States.
In 1914, Police Commissioner Arthur Woods began a social movement. He was concerned for the poor children who lived in congested tenements and organized a city-wide search for vacant lots to be converted into playgrounds. He had two goals in mind, each of equal importance. First, to set kids up for success, and second, to create a healthy, positive relationship between kids, families, and the police officers that serve in their city.
In 1947 Philadelphia Pa. established a Police Athletic League in North Philadelphia and over the past 75 years have had a positive impact on the Philadelphia area. It remains one of the largest and most effective PAL organizations in the United States. In 1957 James K. Sunday established a Police Athletic League in Harrisburg Pa. The local police and law enforcement agencies provided opportunities for disenfranchised communities within the city. Kids/families became the recipients of programs and activities that allowed them to grow and develop better relationships with the officers they saw in the streets every day. Due to societal changes and the need for collaboration between municipalities, today the Harrisburg Area Police Athletic League (HAPAL) has expanded its reach. With an area wide focus the organization can now address the growing need to serve both city communities and those youth/families throughout Dauphin County.