Law enforcement agencies nationwide face significant challenges in addressing youth crime. To help tackle this pressing issue, PERF compiled strategies from agencies around the country that are making a meaningful impact in their communities.

At a June 10, 2025, meeting, held in collaboration with the Maryland Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and Policy, PERF showcased 11 innovative programs from seven law enforcement agencies around the country. These proactive, multidisciplinary initiatives engage and educate young people to prevent criminal behavior, reduce involvement in the juvenile justice system, and decrease recidivism.

The programs have produced measurable improvements across a range of public safety and youth outcomes. Participating agencies reported stronger trust between police and young people, substantial reductions in youth involvement with the justice system, fewer school-related arrests and summonses, and lower recidivism rates among program participants. Several initiatives also reduced the need for intensive supervision of youth and contributed to significant declines in youth-related violence and disorder, demonstrating the value of proactive, prevention-focused approaches.

PERF’s report, Building Effective Youth Intervention Programs: Case Studies and a Roadmap for Police Agencies, provides law enforcement agencies and their public safety partners with a roadmap to implement similar programs. The report highlights effective models, key stakeholders, funding opportunities, implementation steps, and ways to measure impact.

To view brief summaries and the agencies’ presentations of their programs, along with their results, click here.

The programs fall into these five general categories, although there is overlap and some agencies combine elements from multiple approaches:

1. Targeted education and engagement initiatives. The Manassas City (Virginia) Police Department’s Parent E3 Series empowers caregivers to address at-risk behaviors, while Team Quest pairs youth with adult mentors for educational and enrichment activities. The Cedar Hill (Texas) Police Department’s Youth Summit strengthens police-youth relationships through interactive summer camps. The Kansas City (Kansas) Police Department’s Driver’s Education Program addresses license-access disparities by having officers teach driving, helping youth avoid citations and court involvement.

2. Pre-file deflection models. The Longmont (Colorado) Department of Public Safety’s REWiND, the Lincoln (Nebraska) Police Department’s Project Restore, and the St. Petersburg (Florida) Police Department’s Second Chance programs automatically refer eligible youth who have committed low-level offenses to pre-file diversion programs. These programs address root causes, resolve cases in weeks rather than months, and help youth avoid criminal records altogether.

3. Embedded mentorship and gang intervention. The Lincoln Police Department’s Tipping Point places nonsworn prevention and intervention specialists in schools to mentor at-risk and gang-involved youth and help steer them away from gang involvement.

4. Tiered intervention models. The St. Petersburg Police Department scales support by risk: Second Chance diverts first-time misdemeanor offenders; Forward Together provides repeat offenders with wraparound services; and Habitual Offender Monitoring Enforcement conducts 24/7 cross-jurisdictional monitoring and compliance checks for chronic, high-risk offenders.

5. Intelligence-led targeted prevention strategy. The Phoenix (Arizona) Police Department’s Youth Violence Reduction Program uses social media monitoring, intelligence gathering, and specialized teams to address disruptive residential and promoter parties before they escalate into shootings or other violent incidents.

Contact Rachel Apfelbaum, PERF Research Principal, at [email protected] with any questions.

The Governor's Office of Crime Prevention and Policy (GOCPP) funded these projects under subaward numbers BJAG-2022-0044 and BJAG-2023-0040. All points of view in these documents are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position of any State or Federal agency.