LAPD's
Seven Youth Programs
the
work of Juvenile Division - a report
EDITOR'S NOTE: In response to a Police Commission Request,
LAPD recently presented the following report on its seven Youth
Programs. The Department's youth programs are designed to service
at-risk youth of all age groups, ranging from six to twenty years
of age. As Chief Bratton writes, LAPD's Juvenile Division, and
its Commanding Officer, Captain Sharyn Buck, "share the common
goals of diverting at-risk youth from criminal activity and unacceptable
behavior, and directing them towards fulfilling and productive
lives."
Report
on Youth Programs
| ...TO: |
The
Honorable Board of Police Commissioners |
| ...FROM:
|
Chief
of Police |
| ...SUBJECT: |
DEPARTMENT
YOUTH PROGRAMS |
In correspondence dated January 6, 2005, the Police Commission
requested a report regarding the gang prevention and community
programs for youth that the Department sponsors and/or supports.
The Department is currently involved with the following seven
youth programs:
EDITOR'S NOTE: Click on each link below to read about the specifics
of each program.
Department's Program Participation
With exception of the Law Enforcement Explorer Program, the Department's
participation in the other six youth programs varies with each
geographic Area. Based upon the availability of personnel resources
and sufficient funding, Area commanding officers determine their
participation in each respective program.
 |
The
Law Enforcement Explorer Program is the only Department-sponsored
youth program that is currently active in all 18 geographic
Areas. Special Order No.38, dated September 25,2003, Defining
the Police Explorer Program as a Department Entity, established
that each geographic Area shall sponsor a police explorer
post. The Department does not mandate that all 18 geographic
Areas participate in the other six programs. |
|
Area
commanding officers determine their respective Area's participation
in the Jeopardy, Juvenile Impact, PAL and DAP Programs. |
|
Through
the collaboration of the Department, Los Angeles Unified School
District (LAUSD) and corporate sponsors, the Los Angeles Police
Academy Magnet School Program is conducted at six selected
schools. Future expansion of the program will be based upon
the availability of Department police officer instructors
trained in Magnet School Program curriculum and adequate funding. |
|
The
GREAT Program is also school based and conducted with the
cooperation of the LAUSD. Future expansion of the program
will also be based on available funding. |
SUCCESS
OF THE YOUTH PROGRAMS
Positive Feedback
The Department consistently receives feedback from parents, school
officials and community members regarding the positive impact
that the Department's Youth Programs have on youth participants.
The positive feedback includes, but is not limited, to the following:
|
Youth
participants traditionally will attain higher academic grades
and maintain better school attendance than non-participants; |
|
Parental
participation in most youth programs has significantly increased,
which helps to improve the quality of the intervention process; |
|
Youth
program participants perform hundreds of community service
hours annually, which improves police-community relations; |
|
Youth
program participants serve as mentors to younger elementary
school students that have behavioral and academic concerns;
and, |
|
Youth
participants continue their formal education beyond high school.
Ninety percent (90%) of the Magnet School Program graduates
enroll in either a two-year community college or a four-year
college or university. |
Current Program Successes
The Department does not maintain statistical data on the total
number of youths who have progressed to productive lives due to
the positive influence of Department-sponsored youth programs.
However, the Department has experienced many successful incidents
involving youths that have progressed either to become Police
Student Workers (PSW) and sworn police officers, or have made
other positive career choices. The following are examples of those
incidents:
Explorer Program
|
Los
Angeles Police Commissioner Alan J. Skobin and Commander Harlan
L. Ward, Assistant Commanding Officer, Detective Bureau, are
former Explorer Program participants. |
|
Juvenile
Division currently has one sworn police officer assigned to
the School Investigation Buy Unit, who is a former Explorer
Captain. |
|
Central
Area has one family with three sons and two daughters who
have participated in the Explorer Program. Two of the sons
are currently Department sworn police officers and the third
son is a Los Angeles County probation officer. One of the
daughters currently holds the rank of Explorer Sergeant and
plans to soon become a police officer. |
|
Southwest
Area currently has a probationary police officer, who is a
former explorer. |
|
Van
Nuys Area has one family with two daughters currently participating
in the Explorer Program. One of the daughters will graduate
from the Explorer Program in May 2005, and has been accepted
in the United States Navy. |
|
Rampart
Area has three brothers who have participated in the Explorer
Program. One brother graduated from the Explorer Program,
enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and is currently
a probationary sworn police officer at Van Nuys Area. The
second brother recently graduated from the Explorer Program,
where he attained the rank of Explorer Captain. The third
brother recently joined the Explorer Program and is assigned
to Devonshire Area. |
|
Devonshire
Area has two sworn police officers that are former explorers.
Two additional Devonshire explorers have recently joined the
United States Marine Corps and plan to join the Department
upon their completion of military service. |
Los
Angeles Police Academy Magnet School Program
|
One
former Magnet School Program graduate is currently a sworn
police officer at Devonshire Area. This officer's father is
also a Department sworn police officer. |
|
Juvenile
Division currently has one Police Student Worker who is a
graduate of the Magnet School Program. She plans to apply
for the Department upon her graduation from college. |
|
Two
former Magnet School Program graduates are currently attending
the Los Angeles Police Academy. |
|
Youth
program participants serve as mentors to younger elementary
school students that have behavioral and academic concerns;
and, |
|
Six
other former Magnet School Program graduates have started
the employment process and are currently awaiting confirmation
to join the Department as sworn police officers. |
CONCLUSION
The Department's
youth programs are designed to service at-risk youth of all age
groups, ranging from six to twenty years of age. The Law Enforcement
Explorer, Los Angeles Police Academy Magnet School, Jeopardy,
GREAT, DAP and PAL Programs are designed to service primarily
pre-delinquent youth, who are at-risk of becoming involved in
criminal activity due to social and other causal factors. Conversely,
the Juvenile Impact Program is designed to service delinquent
youth that have a prior arrest history, are presently involved
in gang or other anti-social activity, and are in need' of positive
and immediate alternatives to criminal behavior. All youth programs
are Department supported and/or sponsored, and are conducted under
the direction and supervision of Department sworn personnel and
qualified civilian volunteers.
Although different
in program design and activities conducted, the Department's seven
youth programs share the common goals of diverting at-risk youth
from criminal activity and unacceptable behavior, and directing
them towards fulfilling and productive lives.
If you have
any questions, please contact Captain Sharyn I. Buck, Commanding
Officer, Juvenile Division, at (213) 485-2801.
Respectfully,
WILLIAM J. BRATTON
Chief of Police
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