- COPS Office Photo Contest – February Winner
        - Answering the Call to Mentor 21st Century Policing through Youth Engagement
        - How Mental Health Training Helps School Resource Officers
        - Juvenile Recidivism Reduction: A Phenomenological Investigation of Successful Juvenile Reintegration Executive Summary
        - Spotlight on Japan–Social Systems Security, a Combination of People and Science Part II

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### Answering the Call to Mentor: 21st Century Policing through Youth Engagement

*Use of excessive force*.  It is a phrase that was once ambiguous yet is thrust more deeply into the  public eye and consciousness with each passing day. With every new allegation  against a law enforcement agency—or an individual officer—public scrutiny  sharpens and the public’s list of questions and concerns lengthens. Gone are  the days of blind trust in and implied respect for law enforcement as recent  actions and events (in Ferguson, Missouri; Baltimore, Maryland; Cleveland,  Ohio; and elsewhere) have led to a spreading distrust of law enforcement and a  growing rift between individual officers and the civilians they are sworn to  serve and protect.

This distrust is a train that is  gaining momentum with each passing day. Throughout many cities, the list of  young victims continues to grow. Use of force incidents involving youth in  Ferguson, Baltimore, Cleveland, and most recently McKinney, Texas, have sparked  national protests and outcry against what is often viewed as a systematic  pattern of police brutality. These encounters highlight an increased lack of  trust between minority youth and law enforcement across the country. And locked  at the core of these incidents are the minority youth themselves, who often  respond with a volatile mix of violence and civil disobedience.

A national call to invest in the lives of youth developed into President Barack Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper initiative for government work groups to enact positive change for the future of young minority men. Following this call, President Obama convened the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, which reviewed current law enforcement practices and made recommendations for reform.  This increased focus on law enforcement practices has caused cities across the United States to evaluate police-community relationships, particularly relationships with youth.

In 2014, the Arlington (Texas) Police  Department developed a research team to examine offenses related to juveniles.  Partners included the Arlington Independent School District (ISD) and Arlington  Municipal Court. Research revealed that  from 2012 to 2014 the Arlington Municipal Court dealt with 2,710 offenses  committed by juveniles between the ages of 12 and 15 years. African-American  and Hispanic young men committed an average of 75 percent of the offenses with  a majority of the offenses occurring in east Arlington. Approximately 50  percent of those offenses were assault related. Statistics show an increase in  criminal activity and recidivism as juveniles increase in age.1 The  research team concluded that increased proactive youth engagement was needed to  address juvenile recidivism with a focus on African-American and Hispanic boys between  the ages of 12 and 14 years.

So the Arlington Police Department developed a mentoring program called Mentoring Arlington Youth (MAY). The MAY program incorporates law enforcement, educators, faith-based groups, and community leaders, mentoring 7th and 8th grade young men at Workman Junior High School. The focus of the MAY program incorporates 21st-century policing practices through mentoring in a way that builds trust, improves awareness, shapes skill sets, and enhances legitimacy. This 18-month program offers exciting, interactive workshops on leadership, team building, education, and career development. The journey is supported through positive interaction, problem-based learning, and positive behavior support creating sustainable relationships.

In October of 2015, MAY began with its first  cohort of 10 mentors and 10 mentees. During the initial eight weeks, the  research team collected and evaluated statistical data to measure the  effectiveness of the program. The following outline indicates the research that  was conducted and the outcomes.
        - Can  juvenile recidivism be reduced through mentoring?
        - Does  law enforcement mentoring build legitimacy in communities of color?
        - Does  law enforcement mentoring increase minority youths interest in policing?
        - Can  law enforcement mentoring decrease police bias in communities of color?
        - Can  positive youth engagement increase academic performance?

**Family Challenges**

The  MAY program is committed to community collaborations to address the needs of  the mentees. Their parents are an integral part of the collaboration. When  beginning the MAY program, parents were managing a host of family dynamics such  as
        - learning difficulties of the mentee (43 percent);
        - mentee needing help with school work (86       percent);
        - truancy—missing whole school days at least one       time per week (14 percent);
        - families involves with Child Protective       Services (14 percent);
        - mentee having medical issues (14 percent).

By  the end of the first eight weeks, the parents report the following:
        - The MAY program has helped their son (100       percent).
        - The MAY program has helped their son make       better decisions (50 percent).
        - The MAY program addressed issues specifically       related to minority men and boys (100 percent).
        - The mentee’s behavior has improved (66 percent).
        - The MAY program helped improve communication       between parent and the mentee (100 percent).

The  parents were excited about the mentees’ participation in the program.  Sixty-seven percent of the parents report their son having access to a positive  role model is what they liked the most about the MAY program.   **Impact on the Perception of the Police**

The  MAY program has impacted the mentees’ perception of the police through positive  interaction, awareness, and building trust.
        - When the MAY program began, 89 percent of the       mentees were excited about the opportunity to participate in the MAY       program. By the end of the first eight weeks of mentoring, 100 percent of       the mentees reported that they were excited about participating in the MAY       program.
        - 89 percent of the mentees report that “learning       what police officers do” is what they like most about the program .
        - When the program began, 44 percent of the       mentees reported that they trusted police officers. By the end of the first       eight weeks, 100 percent of the mentees reported that they trust police       officers.
        - When the program began, 67 percent of the       mentors believed police officers help the community; by the end of the       first eight weeks, 100 percent of the mentors believe police officers help       the community.

**Impact on the Community**
        - Arlington  ISD reported more than 30 phone calls from parents wanting to sign their  children up for the program. 
        - The  Arlington Police Department received more than 20 contacts from people interested  in assisting with the program. 
        - The  Texas Education Agency expressed interest in the collaborative aspect of the  program with a view to expanding into other school districts. 
        - The  Arlington NAACP acknowledged the program as a key component in government  leadership.

**Impact on Recidivism**

Upon  beginning the program
        - 22 percent of the mentees had received at least       one citation from law enforcement; by the end of the first eight weeks of       the program, none of the mentees had received a citation while in the       program;
        - school administrators reported that 50 percent       of the mentees had multiple visits to the principal’s office; while in the       program, only 10 percent of the mentees had even one visit to the       principal’s office.

**Impact on Education**
        - Eight weeks after beginning the program, participants       had an 11 percent improvement in grades. The eight weeks encompassed one Arlington       ISD reporting period.
        - Upon beginning the program, 78 percent of the mentees reported that they respected their school staff and environment; by the end of eight weeks, 89 percent reported that they respect the school staff/environment.
        - Upon beginning the program, 67 percent of the mentees had received discipline referrals; by the end of the first eight weeks, 22 percent of the mentees had received discipline referrals while in the program.

Throughout  the first eight weeks of the program, teachers and school administrators reported  that they were seeing the change in the mentees. Their behavior has improved,  and they are more respectful of staff, one another, themselves, and other  students.

**Impact on Mentors**
        - 75 percent of the mentors rate the MAY program       as excellent.  
        - 100 percent of the mentors report that they       would serve again as a mentor. 
        - 87.5 percent of the mentors reported that the mentor       training helped them prepare for the experience. 
        - 100 percent of the mentors reported that they       gained from the mentoring experience. 
        - 100 percent of the mentors acknowledged that       mentoring enhanced their knowledge of issues youth are facing, which will       assist in their policing efforts.

The truth is that we are often not ready for the  moments that change us—the ones that will define who we are today and who we  will strive to be in the future. The MAY program was designed to intervene with  Arlington’s at-risk minority youth in an effort to reduce repeat offenses and  create new opportunities within a targeted community. The results were far  beyond what anyone could have predicted and fostered a level of connection that  shocked participants on both sides.

  If we hope to reach the youth that no one else is  reaching, we must be willing to try things that no one else is doing. The MAY program  is bridging this gap and significantly improving relationships between the  Arlington Police Department and local minority youth. Within the initial eight  weeks, the program has expanded our understanding of what we should consider  possible and has left us all excited about the future and the endless  possibilities it holds. Because at the end of the day, we are all our brothers’  keepers, and the officers of the Arlington Police Department stand ready and  willing to answer that call.   

Lieutenant Tarrick McGuire     Arlington (Texas) Police Department 

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### References

1 For example, see   http://www.nij.gov/topics/crime/Pages/delinquency-to-adult-offending.aspx#reports.

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COPS Office Photo Contest – February Winner | Answering the Call to Mentor 21st Century Policing through Youth Engagement | How Mental Health Training Helps School Resource Officers | Juvenile Recidivism Reduction: A Phenomenological Investigation of Successful Juvenile Reintegration Executive Summary | Spotlight on Japan–Social Systems Security, a Combination of People and Science Part II