This is an archive of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s (OJJDP's) electronic newsletter OJJDP News @ a Glance. The information in this archived resource may be outdated and links may no longer function. Visit our website at https://www.ojjdp.gov for current information.
September | October 2015

White House Recognizes Youth and Law Enforcement Leaders as “Champions of Change”

At a White House Champions of Change event on September 21, 2015, Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch (center) honored youth and law enforcement officials who are building bridges between youth and law enforcement.
At a White House Champions of Change event on September 21, 2015, Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch (center) honored 14 champions who are working to build bridges between youth and law enforcement.


Photo credit: U.S. Department of Justice

On September 21, 2015, the Office of Justice Programs and the Community Oriented Policing Services Office cohosted a White House Champions of Change event honoring seven pairs of law enforcement officers and young people who are leading efforts to improve interactions between law enforcement and youth in their communities.

Vice President Joe Biden, Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch, and Senior Advisor to the President Valerie Jarrett honored the leaders for building trust and improving public safety in their communities. Invited guest, Caron Butler of the Sacramento Kings, shared a message of inspiration with the honorees and other youth and officers in attendance.

Among those honored was a Milwaukee police officer and the 14-year old CEO of Girlz in Action, Inc.; an officer who became friends with a youth through a mentoring program in Hartford, CT; and a 12-year old who is collaborating with the Montgomery County (MD) Police Department to teach cadets about living with autism.

Additional “champions” are a police officer and skateboarder who launched a community skate park in Apex, NC; a youth mentor working with a police foot patrol team to conduct outreach to homeless youth in Portland, OR; the president of a high school criminal justice club and school resource officer from Bonner Springs, KS; and an officer in Grand Prairie, TX, who developed a youth boxing program and a young, nationally ranked boxer.

The event included two panel sessions, which provided an opportunity for the champions to share their success stories and highlight the value in developing community-based relationships between youth and law enforcement.

“By devoting their precious time and wide-ranging talents to the causes they champion, [the honorees] are helping to mend the fabric of trust, respect, and common purpose that all communities need to thrive," said Attorney General Lynch. "They exemplify what we have come to know: that change that can galvanize a nation often begins with a single human connection.”

During the event, the Attorney General announced a series of grants in keeping with the recommendations of the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing to help strengthen police and community relations. The grants include an OJJDP award to the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the Coalition for Juvenile Justice to convene a youth and law enforcement roundtable and to develop an institute for disseminating best practices on issues surrounding juvenile justice.

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Visit the White House website to watch Vice President Biden’s remarks at the Champions of Change event.

More information about OJJDP’s grant to fund the Police and Youth Engagement: Supporting the Role of Law Enforcement in Juvenile Justice Reform program is available on OJJDP’s website.