by Bradley Parsons
Staff Writer
As executive director of the Police Athletic League, Bobby Deal has a chance to influence thousands of young lives, but the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office lieutenant gets his greatest satisfaction thinking of a single child.
There are about 3,000 children, many from Jacksonville’s poorest neighborhoods, that participate in PAL’s programs, but if just one decides to join a baseball team instead of a gang, Deal thinks he’s done his job.
“We don’t have the resources to reach all the kids who are in challenging environments,” said Deal. “But if you keep one child from hanging out in a bad environment, then we’ve all done our job.”
Deal took over leadership of the JSO’s youth activities program at the request of Sheriff John Rutherford. Last year, he did his job well enough to receive the Jacksonville Bar Association’s Liberty Bell Award, presented annually to the person outside the JBA that makes the greatest positive contribution to Jacksonville’s legal community.
As proud as Deal was to become only the third JSO officer to receive the award — Rutherford and former sheriff Nat Glover were the others — he wasn’t able to pick it up in person at the JBA’s Thursday luncheon. He’d been hospitalized Tuesday with a blood clot in his right leg. Instead, he received the award in his fifth-floor hospital room at Baptist Medical Center.
Deal expects to be released today and can’t wait to get back on the job. Actually, to listen to wife Debbie, Deal never left work behind.
“When does he go back to work? He never left,” she said, waving toward her husband’s bed.
Deal protested that he had tried to take it easy but it was a tough case to sell as he sat propped up in his single bed, banging away on his laptop computer keyboard.
“I’m not one to sit around,” said Deal. “I have to admit this is driving me crazy.”
Working with Jacksonville’s children is no doubt a high-energy job. In addition to his duties with PAL, Deal sits on the board of Teen Court, a State Attorney’s Office early intervention program, and last year was re-elected to a fifth term as trustee for the Police and Fire Pension Fund. When he’s at home, Deal surrounds himself with his wife and four children.
PAL programs reach an estimated 3,000 children each year, said Deal. Programs ranging from tee ball leagues to education programs to drug prevention clinics provide children with a healthy environment and positive role models. Both are commodities that are sometimes in short supply in Jacksonville’s poor neighborhoods.
The programs also give children in those neighborhoods a different perspective on law enforcement. Kids who carry only negative perceptions of police get a chance to see JSO officers as coaches and mentors.
“They see a human side of law enforcement. They see police as basketball coaches, running around in shorts instead of a uniform,” said Deal.
The PAL’s $1.8 million budget is largely paid through grants and private donations. Deal said the competition for public funds is getting tougher with the State and City both facing tight budget years.
Deal said the PAL couldn’t operate without support from community donors and a million dollar annual commitment of JSO staff and resources from Rutherford.
“No child is turned away from our programs, regardless of their financial status. That takes a commitment from hundreds of people who are dedicated to improving the community,” said Deal. “If I could, I would share this award with every one of them.”