Accepting the Challenge: Understanding Police Officers’ Perceptions of a Community-Based, Youth Empowerment Program

Some communities are choosing to implement programs that enable police and youth to engage with each other within voluntary and non-enforcement-related contexts, yet little is known about the impacts of such programs on officers. As part of a larger program evaluation, this study examines police officers’ perceptions of participating in a community-based, youth empowerment program. In-depth interviews were conducted with eighteen police officers who participated in the Team Kids Challenge, a structured, voluntary, and community-driven program designed to empower youth to engage in community service in ways they find meaningful, while also exposing youth to working with police officers in a prosocial, non-enforcement context. Resoundingly, officers noted the (1) positive impact the program had on their opportunities to engage in prosocial interactions with youth, (2) improved relationships with children, and (3) an overall positive experience participating in the program. The paper draws implications for how agencies can work to improve their relationships with their communities when the communities so choose.