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 The information in this archived resource may be outdated and links may no longer function.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.
November | December 2015

Highlights of OJJDP’s Efforts To Facilitate Police and Youth Engagement

Picture of youth with law enforcement officialFrom supporting a youth-led panel at a national hearing to incorporating youth and families in planned roundtable discussions on police and youth engagement, OJJDP is working with law enforcement to ensure that the youth perspective is a part of law enforcement officials’ decisionmaking processes and an integral part of their solutions as they build communities of trust.

Youth Panel at Task Force on 21st Century Police Hearing

In February 2015, the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing heard directly from youth during the “Youth and Law Enforcement” panel presentation, organized by the Office as part of its commitment to promoting a developmental and trauma-informed approach to juvenile justice and to enhancing the relationship between youth and law enforcement.

Nicholas Peart, staff member, The Brotherhood-Sister Sol, spoke about his interactions with law enforcement and cautioned that “Aggressive policing is alienating an entire generation of young people.”  Michael Reynolds, co-president of the Youth Power Movement, stated that many of his peers have a fear of the police. “There is a discrepancy between the goal of keeping communities safe and the reality of policing today,” he said.

Phoenix native Jose Gonzales, shared that he had a chaotic childhood and was first detained at age 9. “Needless to say, I have had a fair amount of interaction with law enforcement in my youth. Some has been very positive,” Gonzales said. “Approach is everything … it is important that law enforcement be sensitive to the issues that can exist in a young person’s life.”

Other panelists—Delilah Coleman, a high school senior and member of the Navajo Nation, and Jamecia Luckey, Youth Conference committee member, Cocoa (FL) Police Athletic League—also offered recommendations for cultivating relationships between youth and police.

IACP Panel: The Role of Law Enforcement in Schools

On October 25, 2015, OJJDP hosted a panel presentation at the International Association of Chiefs of Police’s (IACP’s) Annual Conference and Exposition. Moderated by Cynthia Pappas, Senior Policy Advisor at OJJDP, the panel focused on the need to end overly punitive discipline practices that can push students out of school and into the juvenile justice system, fueling what is often referred to as the “school-to-prison pipeline.”

Moses Robinson, a school resource officer from Rochester, NY, shared best practices from his 20-plus-year career. Mr. Robinson relayed that through his training with the National Association of School Resource Officers, which is based on the triad model of educator, informal counselor, and law enforcer, he has built a stronger community by treating his students and their parents and/or guardians with respect and compassion.

Michael Reynolds, a youth activist who provided testimony before the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, challenged the audience to adopt a developmentally appropriate and trauma-informed approach to justice system-involved youth.

Deputy Commissioner Kevin Bethel of the Philadelphia (PA) Police Department described Philadelphia's innovative prearrest diversion program, which provides comprehensive, intensive, early-intervention programming for high-risk or at-risk youth. Mr. Bethel said that with the help of OJJDP’s “School Justice Collaboration Program: Keeping Kids in School and Out of Court” grant, Philadelphia has further enhanced its program by providing conflict resolution training for all the sworn and nonsworn police officers and principals.

Principal Nia Abdullah applauded this approach as she described how Bowen High School in South Chicago, IL, focuses on best practices to diagnose their students’ academic and behavioral needs and design support services to meet those needs.

OJJDP’s partnership with the Department of Education and the Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration will continue to support policies and practices that improve school climates, respond to students' behavioral needs, and avoid referrals to the juvenile justice system. Through the Supportive School Discipline Initiative, OJJDP is working to end harsh and exclusionary discipline practices that push youth out of school and into the justice system.

Police and Youth Engagement Cooperative Agreement

In fiscal year 2015, OJJDP issued a solicitation titled “Police and Youth Engagement: Supporting the Role of Law Enforcement in Juvenile Justice Reform.” The program will provide training and technical assistance in support of two major components that are critical to the development and implementation of an informed process—a youth and law enforcement roundtable and a law enforcement leadership institute.

The roundtable discussion will focus on enhancing the infrastructure to support, sustain, and expand youth and law enforcement engagement. The Law Enforcement Leadership Institute on Juvenile Justice will immerse law enforcement executives in cutting-edge concepts on how to improve interactions between youth and law enforcement and effectively lead juvenile justice reform.

IACP, in partnership with the Coalition for Juvenile Justice, will implement the project to improve law enforcement’s response to youth victimization, crime, and delinquency. 

Resources:

Read the Final Report of the President’s Task Force on 21st Policing. For more information about the task force and listening sessions, visit the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services website.