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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Thao Le, Ph D and Hieu Ngo, MPH. National Council on Crime and Delinquency, 1970 Broadway, Suite 500, Oakland, CA 94612, 510-208-0500, tle@sf.nccd-crc.org

An innovative community youth violence prevention program, the Strategic Home Intervention and Leadership Development (SHIELD) program operated by the Westminster Police Department of Orange County was evaluated for its implementation and impact on improving participants' school and violence outcomes. The SHIELD program uses police officers as sentinels for identifying at-risk youth during their routine calls for service and referring them to a team of coordinated social service and community-based providers for prevention and intervention. The sample included 907 youth who participated in the program from 2002 to 2005, ages 0-17, half were females (50%), 41% identified as Latino/a, 28% White/Caucasian, 21% Vietnamese, 8% Other/Unknown, and 3% Black/African American. Semi-structure telephone interviews were also conducted with 11 SHIELD participants and/or their family members. Nine additional interviews were carried out with service providers, school administrator/counselor, police officers, and the Chief of Police of the Westminster Police Department. Analyses revealed that more than 90% of participant youth received a referral to services and at least half received some type of services. Data show that while youth who received services have a higher grade point average and fewer unexcused absences compared to those who did not receive services, the impact on delinquency and violence was less clear. One clear benefit of SHIELD was the increased collaboration and communication among community partners.

Learning Objectives: