By Staff
October 30th, 2020
BURLINGTON, ON
The Halton Regional Police Service (HRPS) has announced the launch of their first ever Youth Advisory Council.
Recognizing that youth interactions and engagement present a unique and exciting opportunity for law enforcement, our police service has developed this council for the purpose of increasing connectivity and to better understand the needs of the youth living in the Region of Halton. In recent years, youth have assumed an increased role within the community and have used their voices to effect change. Through the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion office, we have identified the need to enhance our service delivery model as it relates to youth and their involvement in driving change within the police service and our community.
The goal of the Youth Advisory Council is to:
• Advise our Police Service on how our policies, programs and outreach initiatives are impacting youth living in the Region of Halton.
• Understand how our current programs and initiatives can be enhanced to better support and serve our youth and the community.
• Assist in the development of future programs and initiatives to meet the changing needs of our community.
The concept for the Youth Advisory Council was developed in consultation with our police service, local youth and community stakeholders who felt that there was a critical gap in how we engage youth living in the Region of Halton. The HRPS has recognized that all citizens, including youth, have a role to play in ensuring we live in the safest and most inclusive Region in Canada.
“We recognize that youth are our future and today more than ever, their voices must be heard and have an impact on how we as a Police Service develop programs and initiatives to enhance community safety and well-being. This Youth Advisory Council will be a great addition to our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion strategy by ensuring we have a point of contact between our Police Service and the diverse youth living in the Region of Halton” says Deputy Chief Roger Wilkie.
The HRPS is looking for youth aged 14-18 who want to inspire change and employ their diverse perspectives and experiences to ensure that our police service is more inclusive and meets the needs of youth living in the Region of Halton. Applications are open as of Friday, October 30, 2020.
The actual selection of the Youth Committee has some interesting criteria. The HRPS deserve credit for being truly inclusive. It was more than this reporter expected. Check it out.
More information about this initiative and the application process can be found here:
We did something similar at lester b pearson high school in 1995 as the Committee of Police and Student (COPS). And in other highschools in Halton on a school level. We really enjoyed having the officers visit and interact with the students in the group environment. the premise was to make police more approachable so students would be more comfortable in interacting with them and sharing any items of concern. It had grown out of the participation in burlington mayor’s crime prevention committee. Glad to see its been formalized sorry to see it had stopped back then!