Law Enforcement Connect Youth

After school is prime time for juvenile crime, according to a 2020 article in Police Chief Magazine. When juveniles engage in criminal activity, it is most often between 2 in the afternoon and 6 in the evening when they are least likely to be supervised. Of the offenses, assaults, thefts, and drug-related activities are the most common.

Traditionally, after-school programs have deterred juvenile delinquency. The Police Chief Magazine article says that over 11 million children leave school to go to an environment with no parental or adult supervision. In 2003, 50 percent of teens left unsupervised reported being bored and engaging in risky behaviors, including using illegal substances. In 2016, 62 percent of the crimes committed by unsupervised children were after school on school days.

To intervene, many communities have launched after-school programs. Well-run after-school programs reduce youth-related crimes and prevent children from engaging in risky behaviors.

However, these programs do not always include law enforcement, a first responder to youth-related crimes, and an important part of the social services provided to the community. Police relations in communities, especially in the past few years, have been strained, with high-profile use-of-force cases placing some agencies in a negative light, culminating in civil unrest and overall distrust of the police. This gap has made connecting with communities difficult for those in law enforcement.

Participation with young people in after-school programs is an opportunity for law enforcement to bridge this gap and further reduce the number of crimes. For 70 years, police athletic/activity leagues (PALs) have known that police participation, not presence, in after-school programs can be the launching pad for civic, educational, athletic, and enrichment opportunities and mentorship.

More importantly, integrating law enforcement into after-school programs gives the community the advantage of police protection with trust rather than suspicion. Detroit, Michigan's PAL program is involved with more than 14,000 students through its after-school and summer programs. Through this particular platform, PAL reports that students see gains in achievement and school attendance.

Burlington, Iowa's Partners in Education, Community Educating Students (PIECES) after-school program offers students in kindergarten through eighth grade a safe place to enjoy activities ranging from STEM topics to art. This particular program gives students police detective mentors and connects them with female officers.

In Knoxville, Tennessee, the Boys & Girls Club of Tennessee Valley is another program serving 1,400 youths every day and 9,800 youths and teens annually. One of the steps that this organization has done to create relationships with local police is to have police cadets (dressed in plain clothes) volunteer.

When the cadets are sworn in as officers, they return to the Boys & Girls Club. The hope is that by introducing the children to the volunteers before they are officers that the children will see them as humans.

Finally, the PAL league in San Mateo, California, offers area youth the chance to participate in programs that encourage bonding between local police and children. Whether the activities are cooking classes, martial arts, interactive science, leadership programs, and sports, PAL uses these activities as a platform for diverting juvenile delinquency, encouraging healthy living, and developing positive life skills.