Youth/Law Enforcement Forums are supported by the Montgomery County Working Group, a social justice coalition of community leaders, educators, law enforcement officers, juvenile justice and child welfare stakeholders, and youth service providers committed to improving interactions between youth and police.
Youth/Law Enforcement Forums follow a proven curriculum with trained facilitators to provide an opportunity for youth and officers to be heard and to consider each other’s views without endorsing either side as completely right or wrong. Through our work, we seek to reduce the number of volatile interactions between youth and officers on the street, decrease arrests of minority youth, and diminish the chance of injuries to officers and youth on the street.
In 2015, with funding provided by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), the Montgomery County Public Defender -- in partnership with the Montgomery County District Attorney and Pennsylvania Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) Youth/Law Enforcement Corporation -- began holding Youth/Law Enforcement Forums in local jurisdictions.
In 2017, interns will assist with organizing forums and gathering and analyzing data on the effectiveness of Youth/Law Enforcement Forums in improving youth and officer attitudes toward each other.
Interested students should contact Leslie Jones, Policy & Advocacy Director, at 484-674-6581, or Leslie.Jones@montgomerycountypa.gov.