How CMPD Community Engagement reduced Juvenile arrest, RED, and STPP

Format

Individual Presentation

First Presenter's Institution

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department

Second Presenter's Institution

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department

Third Presenter's Institution

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department

Fourth Presenter's Institution

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department

Fifth Presenter's Institution

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department

Strand #1

Hands: Safety & Violence Prevention

Strand #2

Home: Family & Community Engagement

Relevance

Under strand II safety and violence prevention, CMPD offers evidence-based life skills programs instead of court involvement, teaching young people how to manage behaviors related to conflict, theft, and substance and provides gang intervention and education along with Know Your Rights to create a law enforcement collaborative with schools. Under strand V for family and community, CMPD offers life skills programming for parents on to effective communication.

Brief Program Description

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department goes above and beyond policing and has implemented programming that educate young people on how to make better decisions and offers them life changing experiences and positive interactions with law enforcement. These programs have resulted in lowering adolescent Arrest, Racial and Ethnic Disparities, and School-To-Prison Pipeline.

Summary

In response to the increase of non-traditional gangs and the increase in juvenile arrest, two effective programs were created to reduce adolescent arrest and gang involvement.

One program created a two-hour workshop for students to engage with a sworn Gang Prevention Specialist and a School Resource Officer. The Specialist talks with students about the negative realities of the gang lifestyle and positive alternatives through such activities as academic, sport, social, civic or service clubs, summer camps, internships, scouting, YMCA, PAL, and other activities/programs. The School Resource Officer (SRO) talks with students about the rights and responsibilities of both youth and police officers. The SRO has discussions on: what to do if stopped by the police for questioning, during a traffic stop, and if an officer comes to their home. The workshop concludes with information about other programs and activities for youth. This program was recognized as the “Program of the Year” by the Gang Investigations Association in 2017 and 2018.

The other program uses graduated response levels within schools and law enforcement to address 3 concerns; (1) reduce juvenile arrest, (2) decrease racial and ethnic disparities - RED, and (3) decrease School-to-Prison Pipeline – STPP. It accepts juvenile referrals ages 6-17 from patrol and school resource officers and provide an alternative to arrest while maintaining accountability to delinquent acts. An intake meeting is setup to administer an assessment, to determine placement into one of five 8hr Life Skills training sessions to best address their needs. Youth are tracked for recidivism up to 12 months after completing the program. Between programs inception in 2013 to 2019, arrest for 6-17year old’s have decreased by 30%, reduced RED by 30%, and decreased STPP by 20%. A graduated response level is used where schools are pushed to handle offenses first, the Police Department second, and thirdly the criminal justice system. By following this method over the last two years, 86% of referrals agreed to participate, 90% completed, and 90% of the completed participates do not reoffend.

There are other programs to mention that deter youth from criminal activity and gives them a positive continuum of services.

Evidence

Published Diversion article http://online.anyflip.com/lbju/fnyl/mobile/index.html

Diversion has eight years of data to share that 90% of completed participants do not reoffend, resulting in 10% recidivism, 86% of referrals agreed to participate, and 90% successfully completed. In North Carolina 42% of juvenile court cases are referred from schools and only 17% in Mecklenburg County which is due to our graduated response levels starting with school diversion, then CMPD Diversion, an lastly juvenile arrest.

Learning Objectives

How to create your own graduated response levels within your community and schools.

Develop curriculum on how to create accountability to youth and community at large.

Biographical Sketch

Lieutenant LeBraun Evans is a 26-year veteran of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) and oversees the Community Engagement Unit. Lieutenant Evans has done extensive work in the juvenile justice and electronic monitoring field and currently manages the Youth programs within CMPD. He is President of Charlotte Flights Track Club, Parkwood Institutional CME Church budget director, and member of Race Matters for Juvenile Justice. He is currently seeking a master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Liberty University and holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice and Political Science from North Carolina Central University.

Sergeant Richard Nelson has been with The Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for fifteen years. Prior to that, he was a Branch Manager of Wells Fargo Financial. He is a graduate of Virginia Tech with a BS Degree in Finance. While with The CMPD, he was an officer in the Freedom Division, where he also became a Community Coordinator. He was promoted to Sergeant in 2015 and was assigned to the Independence Division. Sgt. Nelson is currently assigned to the Community Engagement Division, where he oversees many amazing youth programs from Reach, High School Academy, College Cadet, Reach Out, High School and Middle School mentoring, and The CMPD Christmas Explorer Project. In his free time, he loves traveling the world, going to Disney, and hanging with his dog Max.

Detective Michael Nguyen has served in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for 23 years. Escaping Vietnam in 1979 at age 11, he migrated to America in 1980 as a refugee for a better life. He is a graduate of UNC Charlotte, in Criminal Justice, Class 1994. Joining CMPD in 1997, he felt a call to serve and help the Vietnamese community. He has served three years on Patrol, eight years as a Detective with the International Relations Unit, nine years within the Gang Unit, including the Task Force with Homeland Security Investigations in 2004. He currently serves in the Community Engagement Unit as a Gang Prevention - Education Specialist. Every year Detective Nguyen speaks to 8,000 8th graders between 28 CMS Middle schools presenting a 1.5-hour “Cops Care” program.

Officer Ryan Botzenmayer has been with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for over fifteen years and is currently serving as the Youth Program Coordinator. He attended the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He served in the North Carolina Army National Guard for ten years and was deployed overseas. As a youth growing up in Charlotte, he participated in many of the CMPD youth programs that he now oversees, like the High School Academy, Explorers Program and the College Cadet Program. Ryan enjoys spending his free time with his family and participating in outdoor adventure activities.

Officer Bruce Edwards has been with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department for over 14 years. During his tenure, he served in many areas of the department to include working as a patrol officer, Electronic Monitoring, Background Investigator, Recruiter, SWAT Negotiator, and currently, he is assigned to the Community Engagement Division. Officer Edwards is a graduate of the University of Phoenix, where he received his Bachelor of Science in Management degree. Officer Edwards is a proud father and husband and has a passion for helping young people find their professional calling. Headshot

Ms. Cara Evans-Patterson is the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s Youth Diversion Program Manager. She has been instrumental in creating effective ways to lower the juvenile arrest rate, minimize School-To-Prison Pipeline, and reduce racial and ethnic disparities in Mecklenburg County. She joined CMPD in 2012 as Program Manager to implement Diversion into Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools and CMPD Patrol Divisions, to later include surrounding municipalities, which has allowed over 5,000 youth the opportunity to have their cases diverted in lieu of court involvement. She has a University of Florida Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology.

Keyword Descriptors

Diversion, Gang, Graduated Response Levels, Prevention, Youth Programs, Juvenile Arrest

Presentation Year

2021

Start Date

3-10-2021 10:05 AM

End Date

3-10-2021 11:05 AM

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Mar 10th, 10:05 AM Mar 10th, 11:05 AM

How CMPD Community Engagement reduced Juvenile arrest, RED, and STPP

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department goes above and beyond policing and has implemented programming that educate young people on how to make better decisions and offers them life changing experiences and positive interactions with law enforcement. These programs have resulted in lowering adolescent Arrest, Racial and Ethnic Disparities, and School-To-Prison Pipeline.