Youths, Police Team Up for Service Projects

There were some key lessons parents and police officers hoped youths would take away from a slew of community service projects in Prince George's County yesterday -- lessons like how to work with the police to improve your neighborhood and how to help those in need.

But some unplanned, impromptu learning went on as well.

At one of the projects, in which teens handed out free bread to needy residents, it took the youths a while to fully understand the concept. Along with the bread, half the teenagers were given a stack of safety brochures to pass out on how to protect your home from burglary and a pamphlet on curfew regulations for teenagers.

"Wait, so why are we handing out pamphlets if the people are coming for the bread?" said Brandon Wood, 13, of Hyattsville.

"No, man, the bread's just our hook to get them in here," explained Devonair Cox, 14, of Capitol Heights.

"You mean like bait for the brochures? I got it," said Brandon, laughing, as he and others immediately started plotting how to load up passing cars with safety tips.

Other projects at yesterday's event included serving breakfast to the elderly at two seniors homes, sorting donated clothes at the Mission of Love center in Capitol Heights and cleaning up trash at Charles Carroll Middle School in New Carrollton.

The event was part of an initiative created by police officials and a local youth football league. The idea is for police officers to work side by side with youths to improve their neighborhoods. And the point is to teach youths the importance of community service and to sell them on the idea that police officers are a force for good.

"Policing's not just what you see on TV, locking people up in jail," Police Chief Roberto L. Hylton told the 50-some kids who showed up before sending them out across the county to their service projects. "It's about bringing peace to the community."

To plan the event, officers from the Police Athletic League teamed up with parents from the Metropolitan Washington American Youth Football League.

"Instead of just focusing the kids on football, we wanted to train them to be complete young men, to have a sense of engagement with their community," said Greg Holmes, one of the youth league's organizers. The first event happened in January during the National Day of Service, and the two groups have decided to meet for service projects every other month.

Some teens who attended yesterday -- mostly boys but a few girls as well -- said they came because their parents told them to. Many of the older ones said they were just looking for ways to fulfill community service hours now required at many area schools.

"We need 36 hours just to graduate," said Aaron Goosby, 18, a senior at Fairmont Heights High School. "That's a whole lot of hours."

"But it's cool too, I guess," said his friend Luis Nataniel, 18. "It's a chance to help people out, to be more open."