APD reaches out to East Austin youth

AUSTIN (KXAN) - The Austin Police Department is launching a new Police Activities League of Austin program this coming Janauary.

The idea is to build trust with Austin youth and police through developing mentoring relationships and athletics.

Police said they are hoping to recruit at least 150 students in the Central East Austin area by January 2010, when the program starts. Senior Police Officer Eric Oakmon is heading the project.

"The goal is to change each child's perception of police," said Oakmon.

Police will start by creating a basketball league through the Boys and Girls' Club in Central Austin. However, Oakmon said he hopes that will be just the beginning of a citywide program to change the police image.

"Many times, these kids don't think of us as human beings," said Oakmon. "We have children and families, too, and we want the same things we want for them that we want for our kids."

Following the fatal shooting of Nathaniel Sanders II, 18, back in May, the police department heard from East Austin community members that more needs to be done to bridge the gap.

"We want to start young, so we are focusing on kids between 7- and 18 years old for now," said Oakmon.

However, Oakmon said he would eventually like to see the project expanded.

Oakmon said another fairly new program APD Chief Art Acevedo brought back to the department is the Explorer Program. That program recruits students between 14- and 20 years old to teach and train them to become police officers.