Richmond Police Athletic League in limbo after year of inactivity, staffing shortage

Richmond PAL has offered athletics and other programs run by RPD police officers. (Image courtesy Richmond PAL)

For over 30 years, children would shoot hoops, play soccer and box alongside Richmond Police Department officers as part of Richmond Police Athletic League. Now, the longtime nonprofit youth engagement program faces an unclear path ahead. 

The Richmond PAL – the oldest police athletic league in Virginia – hasn’t held its annual summer camps since 2022 and hasn’t held any programming in 2024. Its future hangs in limbo amid an RPD reevaluation of PAL’s operations and discussions of the organization potentially merging with another nonprofit.

RPD spokesman James Mercante said details about the state of Richmond PAL are not available due to the department’s ongoing review of the program to pinpoint improvements to emulate “national best practices” and ideas from other PAL programs. 

Historically, RPD officers have managed and staffed Richmond PAL programs on a volunteer basis. Some program alumni return to serve as counselors. 

But going forward, the RPD hopes to create a PAL program led by non-officers and officers in “supporting roles.” 

“Due to staffing levels, the department is always looking for ways to have non-sworn (civilian) personnel or partners perform tasks which relieves sworn officers from those duties, however rewarding they may be,” Mercante said in an email.

That potential change comes amid staffing shortages at RPD overall. WTVR reported in February that the police department had 156 officer vacancies, while 10 recruits graduated from the police academy in March, according to a NBC 12 report. 

Richmond PAL also has seen revenue declines in recent years. 

Richmond PAL remained profitable from Fiscal Years 2020-22, but faced a steep revenue dropoff from $171,793 in FY 21 to $83,780 in FY 22, according to the organization’s 990 tax forms. 

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 the four-day spring break camp participants paid $90, according to its website. 

Richmond PAL keeps its main office in this building at 1365 Overbrook Road. (Photo by Ianne Salvosa)

The organization did not receive direct funding from the city, according to Richmond’s annual and biennial fiscal plans. Richmond PAL was set to receive $60,000 in the city’s FY 21 proposed budget, but did not end up receiving any funds in the adopted budget. 

WTVR reported in April 2023 that Richmond PAL Board Chair Torey Edmonds wanted an accounting firm to perform an audit on the organization’s finances, which the report described as in “disarray.” It halted programming in March of that year, while RPD continued to host its Richmond Police Pull for PAL fundraiser last September. The annual event raises funds for PAL and garnered $26,000 in 2022. 

Edmonds did not return a request for comment. 

Richmond PAL’s website states that its 2024 Pull for PAL event is scheduled for Sept. 16, but it’s unclear if that event will still take place. 

Richmond PAL has most recently been managed by Program Director and RPD Officer Perry Barber, who declined to comment on the status of the organization. 

Despite its up-in-the-air status, the nonprofit was still accepting donations through its website as of last week.

Discussions of a merger

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

Kenneth Ragland

Ragland added that there have been discussions of potentially merging with Richmond-based nonprofit NextUp, but nothing has been set in stone. NextUp coordinates educational, exercise and art programs for “underserved” middle school students, according to the organization’s website. NextUp did not return multiple requests for comment.

Community members and former affiliates of Richmond PAL have raised concerns for years about the organization’s struggle with finances and staffing and an exodus of eight board members last year.

Ragland said PAL programs combine different philosophies of organizational success since law enforcement operates on public funding and nonprofits must acquire their own funds. PAL programs face the difficult task of creating a partnership between the police and the private sector to find and acquire resources. 

“When you merge those two entities together, it’s not always a seamless process,” Ragland said.

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

“It’s not just a law enforcement program,” he said. “It’s a program that the stakeholders are truly the community.”

He added that he believes a merger with another group is the best way forward for Richmond PAL, and that the organization – despite its hiatus – is here to stay. 

“I don’t believe the PAL program is going to go anywhere,” Ragland said. “I hope it doesn’t go anywhere. And I’m going to do all I can as the president of the National Police Athletic League, to ensure that the kids in our community get the services that they need.”

James Zamparello, the former chair of Richmond PAL’s board, said the organization had to “self fund” through donations, fundraising events and program fees, but that its future is most hindered by waning “manpower” of the RPD. Zamparello served on the board for about six years and said he left the group amicably, though he declined to say when he stepped down.

RPD officers participated in Richmond PAL on a volunteer basis and did not receive additional compensation for their time with the nonprofit, Zamparello said. About 12 to 15 officers would participate in the programs each year to support roughly 200 kids in the summer camps in addition to the roughly 50 to 100 kids who would attend their other programs throughout the year. 

During his service to Richmond PAL, Zamparello said the most rewarding moments were when children involved in the program would return when they’re older to serve as junior counselors for the organization. One of Zamparello’s participants went on to become a football player for the University of Richmond.

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

“I think there’s probably more need than ever,” Zamparello said. “The function of the Police Athletic League is something that still needs to go on.”

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