Police Youth Mentoring, Athletic Leagues and Social Workers, and the Community Context of Police-Community Initiatives

Session Submission Type: Complete Thematic Panel

Abstract/Description

In addition to proactive policing strategies, such as increased patrolling and proactive stops in high-crime areas, police departments continue implementing community policing initiatives to address crime and neighborhood disorder while fostering positive relationships with diverse communities. Although intended to enhance public safety, proactive policing tactics may disproportionately and negatively impact communities with diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. While research on community policing has expanded over the past two decades, there remains limited attention to the interplay between various crime prevention approaches and the broader context of proactive policing. This thematic panel explores the intersection of police-community initiatives and proactive policing by presenting four research studies. The first three examine police-youth mentoring programs, Police Athletic Leagues (PALs), and police social workers (PSWs), while the fourth investigates the influence of community-level risk factors, race, and neighborhood context on the youth involved in these policing initiatives. These studies offer critical insights into the administration of police-based social programs, particularly in racially and ethnically diverse communities, and the broader social and environmental factors shaping their implementation. The panel’s objective is to contribute to the expanding research on police-community relations by examining how prevention-oriented policing initiatives operate in conjunction with proactive policing strategies.

Sub Unit

• Area VI. The Criminal Justice System / 43. Police Strategies, Interventions, and Evaluations

Individual Presentations

• Police-Youth Mentoring: Challenges and Opportunities - Mark Magidson, University of Houston-Downtown

• Police Athletic Leagues: Perceptions, Challenges, and the Imminent Need for Academic Inquiry - Kevin Daly, Florida International University; Tim Goddard, Florida International University

• Collaboration in Crisis: The Implementation of Social Workers in Law Enforcement - Kimberly Przeszlowski, Quinnipiac University; Lori Sudderth, Quinnipiac University

• The Role of Community Context in Police-Led Social Initiatives and Youth Programs - Olaniran Akintunde, Florida International University; Tim Goddard, Florida International University

Chair

• Tim Goddard, Florida International University

Discussant

• Rob T. Guerette, Florida International University