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Improving Interactions Between Cops and Kids

Strategies for Youth is one of the few organizations in the country focused on the true front door of the juvenile justice system: interactions between youth and law enforcement officers. Recently, SFY published a collection of model policies for departments to use in making those interactions safer and more productive.

Lisa Thurau on Educating Disparate Audiences on the Chief Influencer Podcast

Quote of the Show: “We have to educate the kids and we have to educate law enforcement. And you gain legitimacy with both groups if you tell one you're training the other.” - Lisa Thurau

SFY Press Release

Strategies for Youth endorses the statement issued today by three advocacy organizations about the harm of unjust prosecutions of Black youth, and joins them in their call for immediate reforms, including legislation and law enforcement policies prohibiting the arrest of children. In view of the selective enforcement of law, the

Opinion: Enforcing the law means engaging today’s youth

As a law enforcement executive, I've focused on engaging young people, especially those influenced by the aftermath of George Floyd's death and subsequent Black Lives Matter protests. My visits to community organizations serving youth impacted by violence, poverty and numerous challenges revealed a troubling perspective – many of these young

Attitude with Arnie Arnesen, Podcast November 28, 2023

In the 2nd part of our podcast, we discuss law enforcement interaction with youth with our guest Lisa Thurau from Strategies for Youth. 90% of the offenses committed by youth are non-violent, but police are not trained to respond appropriately to youth offenders, who are developmentally different from adult offenders.

Scripps News, Focus Segment November 27, 2023

How should police handle it when young people commit crimes? A new poll by Strategies for Youth finds the majority of Americans believe there should be alternatives to being arrested.

Poll: Americans Wrongly Think Police Have Teen Arrest Guidelines

Washington, D.C. Even though most U.S. law enforcement agencies lack any guidelines about how to interact, interrogate, or arrest young people, 56% of Americans think agencies “probably” have written policies for youth interactions, a disconnect that leaves police, citizens, and communities vulnerable, according to Strategies for Youth (SFY), a national

Bismark Police outline use of force protocols in wake of deadly shooting of teen

Bismark, ND. Bismarck Police Department policy and procedures regarding the use of deadly force are based on state law and U.S. Supreme Court decisions, not a suspect's age, a spokesman said in the wake of a weekend incident in which officers shot and killed a teenager. The death of 17-year-old

Rebuilding relationships between youth, police

A new report from the non-profit Strategies for Youth calls for a wholesale re-evaluation of how America's law enforcement agencies deal with children and teenagers. Executive Director Lisa Thurau is Jim's guest on "The Final 5."

Teen tased, arrested for trespass at Camden County High School

CAMDEN COUNTY, Ga. — The Kingsland Police Department arrested a 17-year-old boy Friday after he did not respond to and attempted to elude the Camden County High School Resource Officer during dismissal at the end of the day, according to a news release.

Joan Esposito, WCPT 820 Chicago, interviews Lisa Thurau from SFY

Shelley Jackson and Lisa Thurau wrote an article in Washington Monthly called, "Police need to do a better job with young people." Lisa Thurau joins us to talk about what can be done on both sides of the equation to make these interactions better.

Police Need to Do a Better Job With Young People

On May 25, 2020, in Minneapolis, Darnella Frazier, then 17, bravely recorded Derek Chauvin’s murder of George Floyd. Her shocking images circulated the globe and helped lead to the police officer’s conviction and, most recently, a Justice Department report examining the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) and its record of civil

Juvenile Justice Jeopardy: Teaching Kids to Engage Safely with the Police

The first time I led Juvenile Justice Jeopardy (JJJ), an educational game designed to teach young people about the law and how to safely interact with law enforcement, a young man, no older than 16, pulled out a fake gun and shot me.

More than a game: ‘Juvenile Justice Jeopardy’ bridges gap between police, youth

SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio leaders want to build good relationships and educate our kids, with the goal of hopefully keeping them out of the criminal justice system.

‘Parenting the Teen Brain’: Anderson Univ. class is connecting teens and parents

The 2-day Anderson Univ. class help better connect parents with their teens in the Madison County Juvenile Probation Department

Program to teach San Antonio students how to talk to cops

In one of the first rounds of “Juvenile Justice Jeopardy,” a game created to help young people and police officers understand each other, a pair of 18-year-olds showed how to de-escalate a conflict.

Three years after George Floyd’s murder, Massachusetts grapples with police accountability

The 2020 murder of George Floyd under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer spurred a national movement for accountability of law enforcement — including the creation of a police reform law in Massachusetts.

Closing Gaps: Improving Relations Between Youth & Police > San Antonio Area Foundation

The San Antonio Area Foundation (SAAFdn) is bringing to our city for the first time an innovative national program focused on reducing tension and increasing understanding between law enforcement and youth in our community.

New Programs For Police And Youth Interactions In Ocean County

OCEAN COUNTY – Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Juvenile Justice Commission (JJC) have announced two new programs designed to improve interactions between young people and law enforcement officers.

AG Platkin and JJC announce Two Innovative Programs to Improve Police and Youth Interactions in Middlesex & Ocean Counties

Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Juvenile Justice Commission (JJC) announce two new programs designed to improve interactions between young people and law enforcement officers.

Morgan Stanley Alliance for Children’s Mental Health Announces Second Cohort of Innovation Award Winners

Morgan Stanley announced the second cohort of winners of its Alliance for Children’s Mental Health Innovation Awards, an initiative that aims to identify and fund transformative mental healthcare solutions for children and young adults across the U.S.

A drumbeat call for cops in schools

Youth advocates say there’s no evidence police prevent crime.
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‘You Ain’t No Big Man’: Videos Show Disparities in Cleveland Police Response to Kids in Crisis

Body cam footage reveals that officers don’t always follow department guidelines or training.

How Structural Racism Works

Want to understand how structural racism works? How race robs Black youth of the American dream? If so, then The Rage of Innocence: How America Criminalizes Black Youth by Kristin Henning is necessary reading.

Getting Resourceful

Lisa Thurau, executive director of Strategies for Youth in Cambridge says "When POST certifies school resource officers, it is telling parents, students and school administrators that officers have met the legal standards for selection, completed training provided by the Municipal Police Training Committee, and understand their obligations pursuant to the

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617.714.3789

info@strategiesforyouth.org

P.O. Box 390174

Cambridge MA 02139

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Contact Us

617.714.3789

info@strategiesforyouth.org

P.O. Box 390174

Cambridge MA 02139

Find It Here

Newsletter Sign-up

CharityNavigator100

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