FAIRFIELD, CT — After more than 70 years of serving the town’s young athletes, the Fairfield Police Athletic League is being dissolved, according to organizers.
In a statement to Patch, Fairfield PAL President Gary Wikman said that it has become increasingly difficult to get police participation, largely due to the demands of officers’ jobs.
“The Fairfield Police Athletic League has been a valuable member of our community for seventy years now,” Wikman said Tuesday. “At the heart of PAL are the active duty Police Officers who give their free time to coach and mentor Fairfield children. Unfortunately, given the demands on our Police Officers and the demands of modern life, it has become harder and harder to find active duty Police who have the time to participate in PAL.”
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The Fairfield PAL is run as an independent 501(c)3 organization, which is “governed by its own board independent of the police department,” Fairfield Police Lt. Michael Paris told Patch.
Whether another group will emerge to take the reins, in an effort to keep the program going, is not known, but Wikman said that there are other options in town for young athletes.
“With that in mind, the Board of Directors of Fairfield PAL has come to the determination that now is the appropriate time to shut the program down and allow other good nonprofit organizations in town to take its place,” Wikman said.
Local attorney Robert Russo has been retained by the board to assist with the dissolution process.
Paris added that the department has no comment on the decision to dissolve the program.
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