HRS Working With Local Police To Build Youth Relationships

Youth programs with Highlands Residential Services are working with local police to build relationships with residents.

The Teens Need Training program provides educational resources and activities for 22 at-risk youth in the organization’s public housing. Youth Programmer Shaquawana Wester said incorporating Cookeville police with the group helps reduce stigmas for both sides.

“Especially now a days with things that we see on the news,” Wester said. “We want the children to have a relationship with officers and see them in a different role, but we also want our officers to see our children in a different role and get a relationship with them they might not have otherwise.”

Wester said the program currently works with four officers, but the police department is wanting to add more examples of diversity.

“So that the youth get to see men and women and different ethnicities,” Wester said. “People that look like them that are in law enforcement.”

Wester said an example of the relationship building is Sergeant Mike Herrick creating a volleyball tournament for the children. Overall, the program has been a success. Wester said many times the youth recognize in public and consider them friends.

“It gets dark now,” Wester said. “He (Herrick) has went and got a light, and he brings that light out there, and those kids are looking for him, and when they see him out in public where as some of them when they first started were skeptical about an officer being there. Now if they see him in public, they are yelling for him to be acknowledged.”

Members of TNT graduate from the Kids Matter program. Wester said this group focuses on reading, studying and accomplishing homework for children in public housing.