Op Eds and Opinion Pieces by Strategies for Youth

Legislators, reformer communities, government agencies and parents ask Strategies for Youth for guidelines, research and model policies. You can explore some of those questions by flipping the blue boxes and then reading our opinion pieces on those topics.

Officer Training

Should officers receive special training to work with youth?
SFY's Opinion »

School Resource Officers (SROs)

What should parents ask about the SROs in their children's school?
SFY's Opinion »

Use of Force

Should policies regarding use of force be different for youth than for adults?
SFY's Opinion »

Public Health

How can policing affect the mental health of a community?
SFY's Opinion »

Letter to Editor: Police Departments Should Have State Standards

In response to a June 5, 2017 story by Cory Shaffer, “Lakewood mother files suit against police officer who broke her teen daughter’s jaw inside library:” it’s time to protect our students’ civil rights and advocate for a set of state standards for law enforcement. Why are police departments exempt from the same state support, oversight and accountability as doctors and teachers?

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Letter to Editor: Parents Need to Feel Empowered

Kudos to Trise Moore and to the Federal Way public school system in Washington state for developing a community- and family-engagement model in schools that empowers parents to advocate for their children (“Giving Parents a Prominent Voice in Schools,” Education Week, Feb. 22, 2017). It is heartening to not only learn about such programs, but to read that they are being used as models for other districts to emulate.

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Letter to Editor: Policing Teen Brain Training Beneficial

On Feb. 6 and 7, approximately 25 police officers and youth care workers, representing Alexandria, Anderson, Madison County, Elwood and Pendleton police departments as well as the Madison County Youth Center, attended a training titled “Policing the Teen Brain.” This training, paid for by Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative grant funding, was developed and conducted by Strategies for Youth.

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New Brief: “Defining the Role of School-Based Police Officers”

As part of National Community Policing Week, in collaboration with the California Police Chiefs Association and the California State Sheriffs’ Association and with funding from the California Endowment, is proud to release the 3rd brief in a series of youth–focused policy briefs, “Defining the Role of School-Based Police Officers.” …

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Avoiding ‘Profiling by Proxy’

When an individual calls the police and makes false or ill-informed claims of misconduct about persons they dislike or are biased against—e.g., ethnic and religious minorities, youth, homeless people—police must be careful to avoid “profiling by proxy”.

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