Relationship Capital is the ignitor to the flame of difference when your attempting to establish a sense of allyship and understanding. When attempting to travel down a road less travelled and connect with others. When it comes to:
Trust in America: Do Americans trust the police? Here are some findings from the Pew Research Center. The relationship between the public and police across the United States was brought into sharp focus over the course of 2020 and 2021 following the high-profile killings of several Black Americans by police, including George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, and the worldwide protests that followed. The Center reports only 10% of young black teens and adults believe they’ll be treated fairly by police as compared to 18% of Hispanic youth and 16% of Asians who were asked the same question. The highest level of trust came from whites at a clip of 32%
Therefore, I am motivated to ask the question what’s the key to bridging the gap and providing the police and the youth they serve with better camaraderie between the two parties?
For some in depth answers to this very question I want to
tell you about the Teen And Police Service Academy. The Teen And Police Service
Academy (TAPS) was founded in 2011 by the late Chief Brian Lumpkin and
Criminologist, Dr. Everette Penn. At the time, the Houston Police Department
was granted funds to create a program that would enhance and build a more trusting
relationship between teens and police in Houston. Chief Lumpkin, Dr. Penn, and
Officer Mott took on this mission and worked collaboratively to build out the
TAPS Academy program. In the Spring of 2012, the first Teen And Police Service
Academy was launched at Beechnut Academy, a Houston Independent School District
alternative school. Data showed there were dramatic positive behavioral changes
between youth and police among those who participated in the program. Now, TAPS
Academy is a 501-C-3 non-profit organization and has expanded into more than 30
schools nationwide. A distinct component of the program is that TAPS
Academy-trained officers spearhead the lessons. Giving law enforcement and the
youth a unique chance to get to know each other on equal footing, in order to
exchange ideas and learn from each other while also learning an array of
life-building skills such as drug and alcohol prevention, conflict resolution,
the importance of mental health, safe driving, service learning and more.
Currently, TAPS Academy provides 5 programs: TAPS Academy, an 11-week
curriculum-based program, TEENPOL – a TEA-accredited class in Texas, TAPS
Clubs, Summer Leadership Workshops, and the SB-30 Community Safety Course.
Dr. Everette B. Penn is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Teen and Police Service (TAPS) Academy in Houston, Texas. TAPS Academy’s mission is to bridge the gap between youth and police and reduce crime through education, skill building, and service-learning TAPS Academy’s TeenPol program is a Texas Education Agency approved curriculum which grants one high school credit to students upon completion. TAPS Academy reaches over 1,500 youth annually internationally. Dr. Penn joined me this week to tell me more.
For more information: https://www.tapsacademy.org/
Follow: @tapsacademy
Call: (832) .525-1560
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices