Leake & Watts and Yonkers Police Department's "Let's Grow Together" Program Builds Bridges Between Teens And Police

Charged interactions between police and minority teens have become a common occurrence and symbol of strained race relations across the United States. But in Yonkers, New York, two groups have come together in the hopes of changing that.

Leake & Watts, a human services agency that supports children, adults, and families in New York City and Westchester, and the Yonkers Police Department (YPD) joined forces for “Let’s Grow Together” — the first ever program of its kind — over a year ago to involve officers and youth in activities, shared meals, and ongoing interaction to change minds, shift attitudes, and impact behavior of both police officers and adolescents.

“It has been a transformative experience for everyone,” said Alan Mucatel, executive director at Leake & Watts. “For the youth, the program has helped them to see the police in a more positive light. Conversely, the regular interaction with the teens – in positive projects, not solely in moments of crisis — has helped police officers gain a greater understanding of the unique challenges these young people face.” The youth in the program live at Leake & Watts’ therapeutic Residential Treatment Center (RTC) in Yonkers, which supports adolescents with behavioral and/or developmental disabilities, often impacted by trauma.

“When we began the program, our goal was to help these kids see police officers as people, not a bunch of uniforms and badges, and to help them understand that police are there to help them,” explained Captain Peter Butler of the YPD.

The police and kids celebrated the success of the one-year-old program by painting a mural together at Yonkers’ 3rd Precinct Headquarters on Thursday, May 12. The mural will be on display at the 3rd Precinct.

The program began in early 2015 with a “Getting to Know You” kick-off event. Youth and officers had the opportunity to talk about their backgrounds. They discussed stories in the media, and youth shared feelings of helplessness and anger towards the police. Police officers described these interactions as an opportunity to gain insight about youth and their struggles.

“Let’s Grow Together” launched with eight police officers and 17 youth participants (ages 14-19) from the Leake & Watts Residential Treatment Center. Some of the youth had prior arrests and were reluctant to participate due to past encounters and negative perceptions of the police. Others witnessed negative encounters in their neighborhoods. To ease reservations, officers arrived at events in plain clothes. This simple gesture made a big difference in helping the teens let down their guard.

In addition to the mural painting in May, the program has included collaborative community-based events designed to break down barriers and promote interaction. These have included planting a community garden; revitalizing a local park; taking part in National Night Out, an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships; serving Thanksgiving Dinner at a local church; and tending a Farmer’s Market stand.

Prior to the partnership, youth were nervous, hesitant and scared around police. Now, as Susan Sampogna, Leake & Watts’ assistance executive director of residential services, noted, “The kids literally run across campus just to say hello to an officer and make sure they know ‘my birthday is tomorrow.’”

Officers have benefitted, too. They’ve learned better strategies for communicating with the kids, like engaging with them about things they are interested in, e.g., music, technology, and of course, the newest kicks. As Officer Eric Giusto explained, “The kids no longer see us as Officer Giusto and Officer Hogue, but as Eric and Shannen—we are just people who happen to have badges. We learned that while we all have strengths and weaknesses, together, as a community, we could accomplish great things.”

Mr. Mucatel noted that similar programs in other cities might relieve tensions between police officers and minority youth. “The issues between police and minority teens in Yonkers are the same issues that occur elsewhere,” he said. “By bringing everyone together and fostering positive interaction, we are able to help young people interact more positively with police, and we are helping the police see these kids as the individuals they are.”