The Juvenile-Focused Community Policing/Community Prosecution program area is is designed to foster proactive, problem-oriented interventions to combat juvenile delinquency. Acceptable initiatives include evidence-based drug/violence prevention programs, youth academies, and mentoring activities conducted by members of law enforcement that target“at-risk” youth and facilitate parent and community engagement. Strategies should be comprehensive and may also include services for parents or other caregivers, as well. Interactions between law enforcement and “at-risk” youth should be viewed as positive in nature and seen as a reward and not punishment. One-time events, personal accounts or testimonies of people in recovery, scare tactics (fear appeals), and/or moral appeals should be avoided as research has indicated that these methods are ineffective and potentially harmful to youth.
Partnerships are a key component of any intervention. Projects utilizing combined resources and information sharing networks will ensure a higher likelihood of success. A well-developed collaborative effort between agencies in local communities prevents the duplication of services, providing time and cost savings. These partnerships also help to identify potential needs for additional resources in the community, close service gaps for youth and families, and ensure that at-risk youth are no longer falling through the cracks.
The goal of this program is to decrease youth delinquency by increasing positive interactions with law enforcement and local community organizations.
The objectives of this program are to:
- Foster collaboration between local agencies to increase the level of services to youth and their families; and
- Provide evidence-based programs and services to “at-risk” youth and their families through collaborations between law enforcement, schools, and community organizations