COPS: Community Oriented Policing Services – Teen and Police Service Academy

Good morning, and thank you for you joining us. My name is Cindy Pappas, I am a senior social science analyst with the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and am the program manager for The Teen and Police Service Academy.  The T.A.P.S. Academy was developed by the Houston Police Department to address youth safety issues and funded through the COPS Office in fiscal year 2011.  

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T.A.P.S. Academy Goal

To reduce the social distance between at-risk youth and law enforcement through learning, interaction, discussion, and problem solving.

It is a school based program that partners at-risk youth with law enforcement. The T.A.P.S. Academy builds upon the groundwork established by community policing, school and community based initiatives, and the work of the Youth-Police Unity Project of the Rochester Police Department. Through learning, interaction, focus groups, discussions, community problem solving and a service-learning instruction, the students and law enforcement officers gain valuable insight about the concerns and issues facing one another. The ultimate goal is to reduce the social distance between at-risk  youth and law enforcement.  

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T.A.P.S. Academy Partners

Houston Police Chief Charles A. McClelland, Jr. and Assistant Chief Brian Lumpkin, along with partners from the University of Houston-Clear Lake, the Beechnut Academy and the Texas Southern University,  announced the inaugural T.A.P.S. Academy on January 17 of this year.

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University of Houston Clear Lake

Dr. Everette B. Penn

Literature review

Curriculum development

UHCL Blackboard

Technical assistance guidebook development

Under the direction of Dr. Everette B. Penn, Associate Professor of Criminology, the University of Houston Clear Lake assisted in the development of the proposal to the COPS Office and is responsible for the development of the T.A.P.S. curriculum, conducting a literature review on issues facing at-risk youth, hosting the online curriculum through the UHCL Blackboard and developing a technical assistance guidebook at the completion of this program that will be available to order or download from the COPS website at no cost.  

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Beechnut Academy

Dr. Dianne Reed, Principal 

Community Education Partners (CEP)

Houston Independent School District (HISD)

Over 900 students

Provide academic intervention

Help students achieve academic, behavioral, social goals

The first T.A.P.S. Academy is being held at the Beechnut Academy in Houston, TX.  Under the passionate and unwavering leadership of Principal Dianne Reed, the Beechnut Academy is part the Community Education Partners (CEP). The CEP Program is a comprehensive academic and behavioral intervention program for students in grades 6 through 12.  The Beechnut Academy also works in partnership with the Houston Independent School District, the largest public school system in Texas and the seventh-largest in the United States. 

There are over 900 students at the Beechnut Academy who were either

Performing two or more years below their expected grade level in reading and math; 

Failing two or more core subjects; 

Were retained in-grade for one or more years; 

Were not achieving required scores on state skills tests; or  

Were at-risk of dropping out of high school

The Beechnut Academy is designed to provide academic intervention and to help each student achieve his or her academic, behavioral and social goals. 

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Texas Southern University

Dr. Helen Taylor Greene 

Independent evaluation:

Program intake and attendance 

Participation 

Student demographics

School performance 

Social distance and interaction between students and police

One of the most impressive aspects of this proposal to the COPS Office was Houston Police Department’s strong relationship with local universities and an impressive evaluation component for the T.A.P.S. Academy. Each academy will be independently evaluated under the direction of Dr. Helen Taylor Greene.  Dr. Greene is a professor in the Department of Administration of Justice, School of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University.  She and her team are gathering information about program intake and attendance; participation; student demographics; school performance; and social distance and interaction between students and police.  The evaluations will explore changes in students’ perception over time as well as social distance scores.  

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T.A.P.S. Academy Curriculum

15 weeks

30 classes

50 students 

10 mentor police officers

Community collaboration

The current T.A.P.S.  Academy is a 15 week/30 class training curriculum held on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  There are 50 students and 10 mentors. The program also encourages community service through a beautification project with Keep Houston Beautiful.

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T.A.P.S. Academy Mentors

Patrol Officers

Volunteer-based

Senior staff recommended 

Committed to entire course

6 hour T.A.P.S. Training 

 The T.A.P.S. Academy mentors are volunteer patrol officers who have been highly recommended by senior command staff.  They must be committed to participate in all 15 weeks of the academy and must complete six hours of T.A.P.S. training before the program begins.  

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Lesson Plan

SME presentation 

30 minutes

Discussion with mentors 

40 minutes

Group discussion 

20 minutes

Officer Kendall Cobb talks to student Darius Cooper, 14, as Officer Alvaro Vallejo shows Johnisha Granville, 14, and Jose Santos, 15, drawings of TAPS students goals for 2012 on Jan. 26 in Houston.

Photo: Mayra Beltran / © 2012 Houston Chronicle

Each session begins with a 30 minute presentation by a subject matter expert on the topic of the day, followed by a 40 minute breakout with 10 students per 2 mentors to discuss the topic  and then a 30 minute group discussion.  A few examples of topics of discussion include goal-setting, handling situations in which police are involved, conflict management, bullying, dating and sexual abuse and gang violence.

This photo was taken on January 20 during the current T.A.P.S. Academy where officers and students are discussing drawings of the students’ goals for the year.

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Academy Schedule

May 3, 2012  

Beechnut Academy Graduation,  50 students

Fall 2012 

Beechnut Academy,  2 Academy Classes, 100 students

Spring 2013 

Beechnut Academy, 1 Academy Class, 50 students

Washington, DC, 1 Academy Class, 50 students

This first class will graduate in exactly one month from today, May 3rd, where we will have honorary guests, speakers and a reception to celebrate both the students and the mentors.

Dr. Reed will host two additional academies in the fall and one in spring 2013, reaching 100 additional students from the Beechnut Academy and a fifth and final T.A.P.S. Academy will be held in Washington, DC in spring 2013.  

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Assistant Chief Brian LumpkinHouston Police Department 

“Like” us on FaceBook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/TAPS-Academy/271598629575288

Soon you will hear from Assistant Chief Brian Lumpkin who developed the concept of the T.A.P.S. Academy, engaged the necessary partners in his community and who works tirelessly implementing this program all because of his relentless commitment to Houston’s youth and the safety of his officers.  You can also follow the T.A.P.S. Academy on facebook to get updates on the training and youth-involved incidents in Houston.  

Thank you for your time.  I will now turn the presentation over to my colleague at the COPS Office, Tawana Waugh.

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PHOENIX HOUSE WEST SIDE STORY PROJECT

BUILDING ON INNOVATION, LEVERAGING STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS   

WHY PHOENIX HOUSE?

 Founded in 1967, Phoenix House is a national non-profit provider of treatment for individuals with substance abuse disorders and other behavioral health issues

 Serves over 1,000 youth in 11 Phoenix House Academies Nationwide

70% of Phoenix House youth have high rates of juvenile justice involvement and other behavioral issues  

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Phoenix House WSSP 2012

 Six sites partnering with local law enforcement agencies and theatre companies

 Los Angeles, CA Police Department

 Orange County, CA Sheriffs Department

 Dallas, TX Police Department

 Arlington County, VA Police Department

 New York, NY Police Department

 Suffolk County, NY Police Department 

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Building on Innovation, Leveraging Strategic Partnerships

 Each site will be able to create their own WSSP appropriate to local needs, resources, and circumstances

 Hire a local Project Coordinator

 Phoenix House will provide technical assistance to each site

 Phoenix House will assist the sites with  needs assessment and conduct process and outcome evaluation 

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WSSP Evaluation

Needs assessment

Process evaluation 

Outcomes evaluation 

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Phoenix House and WSSP Pilots

 Phoenix House Lake View Terrace Academy

 Partnership with Los Angeles Police Department—Foothills Division

 Created 2-hour “Speak-Up” sessions 

 Facilitated by Phoenix House staff and LAPD officers

 200 youth participated 

 Youth expressed improved relationship/understanding of police 

Good morning, and thank you for you joining us. My name is Cindy Pappas, I am a senior social science analyst with the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and am the program manager for The Teen and Police Service Academy.  The T.A.P.S. Academy was developed by the Houston Police Department to address youth safety issues and funded through the COPS Office in fiscal year 2011.  

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Los Angeles Police DepartmentSergeant Larry Martinez31179@lapd.lacity.org

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