Building Positive Police-Youth Relations in Connecticut
An Overview
In September 2009, The Consultation Center, Inc.’s Youth
Development & Training Resource Center (YDTRC) was given a
unique opportunity from the CT Office of Policy & Management
to work with community-based, youth-led teams on strategies
for enhancing relations between youth and the police. A
total of 7 youth-led teams received mini-grants (ranging
from $1,000-$3,000 each) to develop innovative projects that
aimed to facilitate positive police-youth interactions and
provide youth an opportunity to explore their ideas about
police-youth interactions. TCC/YDTRC provided resources and
technical assistance to the teams throughout the project.
In early December 2009, Bridgeport mini-grantee Original
Works, Inc. hosted a celebration & showcase that invited all
teams to come together and share their projects, discuss
what was learned, and celebrate their success. Youth from
other programs as well as local police also participated in
the showcase event. Original Works youth leaders and adult
advisors were interviewed on a local TV station about their
project and the showcase:
http://www.youtube.com/lutherblackwell#p/u/17/p5wPiuBP-Ik
TCC/YDTRC worked with professional evaluator Jessica
Sanderson, MA, MFT, to develop a set of youth discussion
group questions on police-youth relations, which were then
piloted in 5 communities across Connecticut throughout
fall/winter 2009. Ms. Sanderson also developed evaluation
surveys, which were administered to youth who participated
in mini-grant projects and to a comparison group of youth,
in order to measure the project’s impact on youth’s
perceptions and feelings about, and relationships with,
police.
