Q: Can you share some information about the recent appropriation received from the state for the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office Police Athletic League?
A: The Police Athletic League (PAL) is its own 501 c 3 non profit that operates with its own board of directors. Funding for PAL is very restricted and it basically has to be self-funded. A long time dream of mine is to have a PAL complex to better be able to offer more athletics and classes with a goal of giving underserved kids a safe space to go after school and during the summer. I took my vision to our Florida legislative delegation, Rep. Stevenson, Rep. Renner and Sen. Hudson, and made a proposal for funds for field space and office space. They agreed with me and were able to get funds added to the state budget. We submitted a request for $5.9 million for the governor and I am so pleased that he signed off on the request last week.
Q: What does your vision for this facility include?
A: Last year, we moved PAL to a 35-acre site off Allen Nease Road in the southwest part of the county. We funded some portables with a goal to hold fundraising campaigns to improve the project. With the appropriation we just received from the state, we can proceed with the first two phases of the project, which will include one to two artificial turf fields surrounded by a track, parking, and an office/classroom building built to Category 4 hurricane specifications with an indoor basketball court and boxing ring. Within the building, we will be able to expand our PAL offerings to include after school educational classes, Character Counts! clubs, a leadership council, PAL band, and a fishing club. Outside, we will offer track and field, walking and running clubs, tackle and flag football, cheer, our Police Explorer program and numerous summer camps. The idea is to offer youth options other than just going home after school and doing nothing.
Q: When do you anticipate beginning construction and then opening the complex?
A: We are already undertaking some pro bono work with some of our partners, and hopefully construction will begin by the end of the year. It should take two years to complete the first two phases and we are hopeful that once we show the community the progress being made, it will inspire donations for phase three, which would include a special needs baseball field (similar to Field of Dreams in the Northwest), traditional baseball fields and additional field space.
Q: Can you give us some background on PAL and why it is so important to you?
A: PAL is very personal to me. I coached my own sons in this league when they were young. PAL serves a population of approximately 50,000 youth in the county under the age of 18; about 2,500 of these youth participate in PAL programs throughout the year. Approximately 20,000 people in all of St. Johns County fall below the poverty level and 40 percent of them live in the southwest part of the county, right where our complex will be located. We do welcome kids from all over the county. Those who don’t qualify for free and reduced lunch pay $150 per sport to participate as compared to an average of $350 for other leagues. One hundred percent of what we take in goes into our programs.
Q: What is the best way for our readers to contact you with any questions or suggestions about this article?
A: They can email me at sheriff@sjso.org or call me at (904) 824-8304. Also, our website, www.sjso.org has a wealth of resources, from alarm registration to Crime Stoppers to our Neighbors app.
