Baltimore County Pulling Officers Out Of PAL Centers

BALTIMORE (AP) -- Some parents in Baltimore County say they are concerned with the decision to pull police from recreation centers because there is a need on the street for more full-time officers.

Baltimore County has nine Police Athletic League Centers, or PAL centers, but the budget concerns are forcing the county to back away from the police-run rec centers.

Eboni Jackson of Parkville tells the Baltimore Sun that she has seen where fights are about to start, and says that just having the officers in the centers deters them. She says that officers need to be in the centers every day.

Baltimore County Police Chief James Johnson says the centers will remain open and offer the same program. He says officers will continue to have a strong presence.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)