The Neighborhood Scout website says that Riviera Beach is one of the most dangerous places in the country to live.
The website said that there is a 1 in 87 chance that a serious crime will happen to you in the city.
What those numbers don’t show is how real people are making a difference.
People like police officer Jonathan Nance make sure kids stay on the right track.
“Just call me if you need anything,” Nance told middle school student Travis Stubbs when they met in Riviera Beach.
In the Riviera Beach Police Athletic League (PAL), Stubbs played for Nance.
The kid said that the league makes a good place to be.
“My friends and people who are close to me treat them like family,” Stubbs said.
“This is one of the kids that I had to make sure I didn’t lose to the streets,” Nance said.
Stubbs loves that he can talk to this teacher as a way to let off steam.
“Riviera Beach is mostly known for gang violence, but PAL is making a difference,” said Stubbs. “He’s trying to turn things around and get everyone to choose a job instead of going out on the streets.”
It’s easy for Nance to do. He grew up in Miami, and he sees himself in the kids he helps.
“I’ve been where they are. “You know, sometimes when school is over, we don’t know when we’ll eat again, and a lot of these kids are the same way, so I can relate,” Nance said.
“At first, they’re a little bit shy. They won’t tell you everything at first, but as time goes on, they get closer. They know you are only there to be a part of their lives.”
For the kids in the PAL program, that real-life experience means going to Universal Studios in Orlando and going fishing.
People in charge of PAL, like Vice President Ricky Wade, are aware of it.
Wade said, “We can sit back and watch, judge, and make comments, or we can get involved and make a difference.”
Wade says that the program could be even better if it had more money and general backing.
It’s the little things, like hearing from Stubb’s family, that make Nance happy.
“It’s a beautiful thing when your grandma calls and brags on you for saying the As and Bs that he’s making,” Nance said.
