Police-run boxing club provides positive environment for troubled teens

By Staff Writer

A boxing club in New York City is giving troubled teens an alternative to gangs and street violence, the New York Daily News reports.

The boxing club, which is staffed by members of the New York Police Department (NYPD), is housed in the basement of a housing development in Brooklyn. The complex, which has been the center of violent incidents in recent years, is now a place where kids can engage in positive activities.

The president of the NYPD boxing team said that his staff is trying to reach urban teens at a critical point in their adolescence, when they decide to live a life of crime or not, the news provider reports. A 16-year old who competes in the sparring club told the media outlet that he would most likely be hanging out in the streets if it were not for the NYPD's efforts.

Many of the teens who had previously avoided the police now have a different perception of law enforcement officials and, in some cases, found new role models.

Troubled teens who engage in gang-like behavior may benefit from alternative boot camps, which may help adolescents adopt more positive tendencies.