News

  • 5/16/2013 Weld County communities trying to put juvenile offenders on the right path The state of Colorado is currently in the process of enacting legislation that would allow the operation of a juvenile restorative justice program in the state's Weld County. The program is intended to divert first-time minor offenders from involvement in the juvenile justice system, and will allow youths to choose from a variety of tasks designed to help them understand their crime and repair harm caused by their actions.
  • 5/15/2013 Ga. officials launch youth drug abuse initiative State officials and lawmakers in Georgia have launched a state-wide campaign,"Generation Rx," which is intended to address prescription drug abuse among youths. The program will be run in collaboration with local law enforcement agencies in order to focus on prescription drug abuse among teenagers, and is funded through a grant by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
  • 5/10/2013 Columbus Police producing LGBT-themed anti-bullying video The Columbus Police Department in Ohio has developed a public service announcement video to educate viewers about bullying of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youths, as part of the police department's upcoming anti-bullying initiative. The video will be released on the police department's website on the evening of June 7, 2013.
  • 5/10/2013 St. Cloud police chief unveils programs to help youth Police Chief Blair Anderson of the St. Cloud Police Department in Minnesota has just announced his intentions to develop new programs for at-risk youths. He is currently focusing on the development of the St. Cloud Youth Leadership Academy, where youths will learn skills ranging from conflict resolution to table etiquette. This program falls under the umbrella of the larger Youth Initiative Program of the police department.
  • 5/3/2013 Civil citation program offers alternative to arrest for Escambia youth The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice has launched a civil citation program in Escambia County, which will allow law enforcement officers to issue a civil citation to juveniles who commit first-time, non-violent offenders in order to avoid involvement in the juvenile justice system. The program will allow first-time offenders a second chance while making amends for their crimes.
  • 4/26/2013 Richmond police create anti-crime program to end youth violence Following a deadly shooting of two youths in the city of Richmond, California, local police have developed a new program to focus on youth violence reduction. The program, "Ceasefire Youth Lifelines for Healing," is based on the Operation Ceasefire program, and places a focus on providing assistance and resources to gang-involved youths in order to stem youth gun violence.
  • 4/26/2013 San Jose tattoo removal program helps give troubled youth a fresh start Several gang-involved youths have been given a chance for a fresh start in San Jose, California through participation in the Clean Slate Tattoo Removal Program. The program is a city-funded effort run by the San Jose Mayor’s Gang Prevention Task Force, and is designed to help youths remove gang-related tattoos that indicate previous criminal involvement. The program allows youths to distance themselves from the gang lifestyle and move forward in their lives.
  • 4/18/2013 Kids walk the beat with RCMP Spurs The Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Maple Ridge, British Columbia in Canada is seeking applicants for its Ridge Meadows RCMP Spurs program, which is intended to educate youths on various aspects of the law enforcement field. The program includes interactive activities on a variety of topics, including forensics, traffic enforcement, and beat patrol. The program is intended to show students that there are many different law enforcement careers besides being a officer, such as sheriffs, border guards or crime analysts.
  • 4/12/2013 Packing a punch: City police part of program that teaches boxing skills to teens The New Castle Police Department in Pennsylvania has teamed up with the Foundation Boxing and Youth Center in order to provide six scholarships to youths for their boxing program. The boxing program is included as a component of the police department's recently launched Police Leading Active Youth (PLAY) program, which includes recreational activities intended to foster positive relationships between youths and police officers.
  • 4/12/2013 Easttown looking for volunteers to sit on its newly established Youth Aid Panel The Easttown Police Department in Pennsylvania has just announced the launch of their Youth Aid Panel, and the department is currently accepting applications for volunteers from the community. The program is comprised of local adults who have a vested interest in the community, and is intended to provide mentoring for youths who are cited for minor offenses. The panel allows youths to accept responsibility for their offenses, and to work with the panel to make amends and avoid a criminal charge.
  • 4/5/2013 Community Mediation helps reduce reliance on confinement in juvenile crimes A recent press release from the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth has reported that the state has been successful in reducing reliance on confinement as a response to juvenile crime. This success is partly attributed to community mediation centers across the state, most notably the Community Mediation Services Anderson Country Victim Offender Reconciliation Program. The program contains several components intended to assist at-risk youths, as well as to prevent re-offending by youth offenders.
  • 4/4/2013 Livingston launching initiative to prevent gang violence The Livingston Police Department in California has just announced the launch of a new program to reduce youth gang violence, entitled Community Enhancements and Safe Environments ("CEASE"). The program includes vocational field trips and sports activities for students, the installation of surveillance cameras in problematic parts of the city, as well as gang prevention workshops for parents. Overall, the main focus of the program is to promote positive interactions between officers and students in order to reduce gang activity.
  • 3/29/2013 Colerain, Ohio police begin program to help residents with special needs The Colerain Township Police Department in Ohio has developed a program to improve police responses to residents with autism and other special needs, known as Children And Residents Encounter (C.A.R.E.). The program provides law enforcement with information about local special needs residents, and immediately provides this information to officers upon dispatch to a call for service. In addition to improving responses to special needs residents, the program is designed to help law enforcement officers develop more positive relationships with all residents in their community.
  • 3/29/2013 Oceanside vows more youth programs to curb crime The city of Oceanside, California has announced that they will develop more crime prevention programs for youths in violent neighborhoods, after two teens were shot to death and two were wounded in the area earlier this month. The city council has voted for the city manager to come back in 45 days with an action plan that outlines what is needed to address youth violence in the area, locations where action is required, and how to fund new programs.
  • 3/14/2013 Lawmakers reintroduce bill to protect children during interrogations House Bill 50, a reintroduction of House Bill 597 that was drafted in response to a Supreme Court of Ohio decision, is back before the Ohio legislature. The bill is intended to protect the rights of minors before and during custodial interrogations, and includes requirements that all children under the age of 18 be read their rights concerning a police interrogation in their own language; allows youths to speak to their parents or an attorney prior to offering a statement; and prohibiting a child’s rights from bring waived solely by a parent, guardian or custodian.

 

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