S.F. Giants trophy highlights hard work at Salinas P.A.L. center

The San Francisco Giants World Trophy Tour made its way to Salinas Friday night. Fans crowded the Salinas Police Activities League building downtown just to catch a glimpse of the gold statue.

P.A.L. organizers used the event to bringawareness to their program, which is designed to bring the community and police together to help youth stay on the right track– a struggle for many Salinas teens.

“It’s kind of hard to listen to people bash the police all the time but I just keep it to myself because I know what I feel,” said 17-year-old Carly Reyes.

Reyes is a Salinas police explorer with the P.A.L. program. When she’s not in school, she’s learning about emergency codes and state laws. Living in Salinas, Reyes knows first-hand the struggle between law enforcement and the community.

“I hear that a lot, especially at school, and I usually keep my opinion to myself. You know the general question. Are you for them? Are you against them? I 100 percent support them. I support facts, not feelings,” said Reyes.

With youth gang violence an ongoingproblem for the city, bringing the community and police together isthe organization’s No. 1goal. P.A.L. Executive Director and Officer Angel Gonzalez said now thatthe programhas moved into the old armory building in Salinas,it can bring in more after-school activities.

“Things like for some of the high school kids (include) how to build a resume, how to apply for student loans when it comes to college, you know those sort of things, even things like how to fill out your application for college,” said Gonzalez.

But all that costs money and funding is limited. Gonzalez hopes the presence of the World Series Trophy at the P.A.L. building will help build awareness about the program and maybe inspire more teens like Reyes to go to college and pursue their dreams.

“It doesn’t just teach you the technical things, it really helps you build yourself as a person,” said Reyes.

And that person Reyes wants to be one day – a Salinas police officer.

Organizers said the P.A.L. building is a work in progress. Right now they are depending on private donations to help bring in more programs.