Agitated subjects and ketamine: Working together to enhance safety. The most successful police mentoring programs not only build bridges with the community, but also lead to recruitment opportunities for future police officers. Many agencies across the country are revisiting community policing programs in order to address concerns about police use of force and the relationships we have with those we serve. Police agencies need to find innovative and cost effective ways to further advance this effort.
One valuable component in this mission is the development of structured mentoring programs involving police officers and young people — particularly at-risk kids in need of direction. By reaching out to young people — especially those in need of solid role models — we can make a real difference in the lives of children and their families and help build bridges of long-term trust and confidence.
The following is a five-point blueprint for a creating a mentoring program that utilizes a reasonable level of manpower and funding and can produce dividends for generations. When done well, at-risk kids can be redirected on better paths, their family lives can improve, lifetime friendships can be made and overall trust within community can be enhanced. The most successful police mentoring programs not only build bridges with the community, but also lead to recruitment opportunities for future officers.
An agency should establish its mentoring program with written policies and guidelines, accountability, measuring tools and earmarked funding. The agency ideally should try to work in coordination with schools, social service agencies and city recreation departments to help identify and align at-risk young people with interested and dedicated police officers. By involving community stakeholders from the beginning, you can create positive momentum before you even begin to meet with and mentor the kids themselves.
Once the initial development of the program is done, there are four simple tactics that can establish a general foundation for a good mentoring program; additional elements can be added later.
Too often, some kids have known nothing but negative experiences with police officers — whether it involved their own arrests as juveniles or having officers respond to their homes for domestic violence calls — both of which are highly stressful and traumatic experiences for young people.
Young people assigned to a mentor can attend periodic roll calls and participate in ridealongs with their mentor. This affords them the opportunity to interact with officers in a supportive and positive manner and lets them see up close how an officer works and what he or she goes through. To provide a relaxed environment for conversation and counsel, departments should provide a monthly lunch date for the officer and the young person.
Eating a good meal together without being rushed creates an environment where healthy discussions can take place, allowing an officer to provide guidance and counsel to a young person in need. After trust is established, an officer can make him or herself available for messages or phone calls from the young person who may be in a crisis or need of help.
Being able to reach out to someone you can count on when feeling pressure or problems can be invaluable for a young person who is struggling with a situation. These contacts go a long way in developing the trust and confidence necessary to make a mentoring relationship work. A well-established and trusted police mentoring program enhances confidence with our customers, particularly some of our most in need ones along with their families.
When done right, it may see many of these mentored young people grow up to become police officers themselves and return the favor to others. Chief Tom Wetzel is a year veteran police officer and currently leading a northeast Ohio suburban police department.
A former SWAT commander, he is an adjunct professor in community policing, a certified law enforcement executive and a graduate of the Police Executive Leadership College. An instructor for Northcoast Polytechnic Institute, Chief Wetzel is an internationally published author for numerous police trade publications and a black belt in Goshin Jujitsu.
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Make Police1 your homepage. How to buy computer aided dispatch systems and records management systems eBook. In addition to police procedures and tribal law, the participants benefit from leadership development, public speaking practice, and confidence-building team exercises.
Some children are better reached and motivated through art, drama, or music programs, which can provide a way to work out negative feelings in a safe manner, as well as a forum for discussion of important issues. Other COPS supported programs target specific problems. A collaborative effort that includes the County Attorney, local schools, the Scottsville Faith Coalition, and other stakeholders, it educates children, teens and their families about the dangers of opioid and other substance abuse.
In addition to mentoring, at risk kids received needed social services, and officers helped their parents or guardians in efforts to strengthen family support. Since it began in , 64 percent of the young people in the program have not offended or reoffended.
A unique program is STOP Students Taking On Prevention the Violence , a program that empowers young people with the skills and resources to reduce youth violence themselves. In addition to numerous others we have been involved with, there are successful programs sponsored by other government agencies.
All that build relationships of trust and provide guidance are of great value in helping our young people get onto the right path in life. In addition to saving them from the consequences of criminal behavior, these programs can go a long way toward reducing crime in the community.
Moreover, officers who participate say they enjoy the activities and get a good feeling from the bonds they develop with the young people. They also benefit by learning more about the home lives and challenges these kids face, resulting in a more compassionate and nuanced approach to them as a group.
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