In spring 2005 the Commission conducted a countywide survey to gauge youth opinions about law enforcement. The survey came in response to concerns expressed by youth in a series of countywide forums conducted in 2003. The survey results revealed that many young people are wary of law enforcement and have a negative view of law enforcement personnel. The Commission found these results concerning and believes that the tension in youth-law enforcement may impede the ability of law enforcement to operate effectively and also puts young people at risk.
Thus, the Commission created a report which details the survey results and offers a series of recommendations for improving youth-law enforcement relations. These recommendations are focused mainly on building trust and creating positive interactions between young people and law enforcement, rather than on changing long standing law enforcement practices. The Commission believes that the implementation of these recommendations will help to reduce tension between the two groups and allow for a more positive relationship between the two. We are eager to work with government agencies, community programs, and others to respond to the sruvey results and work to improve youth-law enforcement realtions. Please check out the report by clicking on the link below and feel free to leave comments and suggestions.
