Richmond Police Athletic League in limbo after a year of inactivity and staff shortages

Richmond PAL offers athletics and other programs led by RPD police officers. (Image courtesy of Richmond PAL)

For more than 30 years, children have shot basketball, played soccer and boxed alongside Richmond Police Department officers as part of the Richmond Police Athletic League. Now, the long-standing nonprofit youth program faces an uncertain future.

The Richmond PAL – the oldest police sports league in Virginia – has not held its annual summer camps since 2022 and has not offered any programs in 2024. Its future hangs in the balance as the RPD reevaluates the PAL’s activities and discusses a possible merger of the organization with another nonprofit.

RPD spokesman James Mercante said no details were available about the current status of Richmond PAL because the department is currently reviewing the program to identify improvements that could replicate “national best practices” and ideas from other PAL programs.

In the past, RPD officers have volunteered to run and staff the Richmond PAL programs, and some former program participants return to work as consultants.

But in the future, the RPD hopes to create a PAL program led by rank-and-file officers and officers in “support roles.”

“Due to staffing levels, the department is always looking for opportunities to assign non-sworn (civilian) personnel or partners to tasks that relieve sworn officers of those duties, however rewarding they may be,” Mercante said in an email.

This possible change comes against the backdrop of general staff shortages at RPD. WTVR reported in February that the police department had 156 positions open for officers, while 10 recruits graduated According to a report from NBC 12, he graduated from the police academy in March.

Richmond PAL has also seen a decline in sales in recent years.

Richmond PAL remained profitable in fiscal 2020-22, but recorded a sharp decline in revenue from 171,793 USD in FY21 to $83,780 in FY22, according to the organization’s Form 990 tax filings.

The nonprofit’s revenue comes from donations and program fees. Participants in Richmond PAL’s eight-week summer camp paid $660 for the program and those in the four-day spring break camp paid $90, according to the organization’s website.

Richmond PAL is headquartered in this building at 1365 Overbrook Road. (Photo by Ianne Salvosa)

According to Richmond’s annual and biennial financial plans, the organization received no direct funding from the city. Richmond PAL was scheduled to receive $60,000 in the city’s FY21 budget proposal, but received no funding in the adopted budget.

WTVR reported in April 2023 that Richmond PAL Board Chairman Torey Edmonds hired an accounting firm to conduct a Test about the organization’s finances, which the report said are “in disarray.” In March of that year, the program was shut down, while RPD continued to host its “Richmond Police Pull for PAL” fundraiser last September. The annual event raises funds for PAL and raised $26,000 in 2022.

Edmonds did not respond to a request for comment.

The Richmond PAL website states that the 2024 Pull for PAL event is scheduled for September 16, but it is unclear if that event will still take place.

Richmond PAL was most recently led by program director and RPD commissioner Perry Barber, who declined to comment on the organization’s status.

Despite uncertainty about the nonprofit’s status, it was still accepting donations through its website last week.

Discussions about a merger

Kenneth Ragland, the president of the National Association of Police Athletic/Activities Leagues, said he has requested a meeting with the RPD’s police chief to discuss the future of Richmond PAL. He said he has received calls over the past few years from members of the Richmond community asking for support for the organization.

Kenneth Ragland

Ragland added that there have been discussions about a possible merger with Richmond-based nonprofit NextUp, but nothing is set in stone yet. NextUp coordinates educational, athletic and arts programs for “underserved” middle school students, according to the organization’s website. NextUp did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Community members and former members of Richmond PAL have for years raised concerns about the organization’s financial and personnel problems and Exodus of eight board members last year.

Ragland said PAL programs combine different philosophies of organizational success because law enforcement agencies operate with public funds and nonprofits must raise their own funds. PAL programs face the difficult task of building a partnership between police and the private sector to find and acquire resources.

“When you bring these two companies together, it’s not always a smooth process,” Ragland said.

Ragland, who also serves as executive director of Henrico PAL, said successful PAL programs like Henrico’s allow local educational, business and social services to participate in running the organization rather than relying solely on law enforcement.

“It’s not just a law enforcement program,” he said. “It’s a program that really involves the community.”

He added that he believes a merger with another group is the best path forward for Richmond PAL and that the organization will continue to exist despite its disruption.

“I don’t think the PAL program is going to go away,” Ragland said. “I hope it doesn’t go away. And I will do everything I can as president of the National Police Athletic League to make sure the kids in our community get the services they need.”

James Zamparello, the former board president of Richmond PAL, said the organization has to “fund itself” through donations, fundraisers and program fees, but its future is being impacted largely by the RPD’s dwindling “crew.” Zamparello served on the board for about six years and said he left the group on good terms, but declined to say when he resigned.

RPD officers participated in Richmond PAL on a volunteer basis and received no additional compensation for their time with the nonprofit, Zamparello said. About 12 to 15 officers participated in the programs each year to support about 200 children in the summer camps, in addition to the approximately 50 to 100 children who participate in their other programs throughout the year.

During his time with Richmond PAL, Zamparello said the most rewarding moments were when children involved in the program later returned to work as junior counselors for the organization. One of Zamparello’s participants went on to become a football player at the University of Richmond.

He added that while the future of the organization is uncertain, a connection between the Richmond community and the police will always remain necessary.

“I think the need is greater than ever,” Zamparello said. “The Police Athletic League must continue to fulfill its function.”