Jennifer Ciplet, Media Relations, 720-916-8586
cipletj@bouldercolorado.gov
Young people from across Boulder are invited to participate in two events designed to foster relationship-building between youth and police officers and facilitate conversations about young people’s experiences with public safety. The two events are being organized through a new collaboration between the Youth Opportunities Advisory Board (YOAB) and the Boulder Police Department.
Individuals aged 13 to 18 are welcome to attend both events, or just one, depending on their interest and availability.
Both these events build upon relationship and trust-building work between members of the city’s YOAB and the police department that began in the fall of 2023. The Boulder Youth and Officers Working Group is part of a new engagement initiative that emerged from the Reimagine Policing Plan, which City Council unanimously approved last September.
The purpose of the working group, as defined by youth and officer participants early in their time together, is to authentically show up and better understand one another, to create trusting relationships, and to carry forward lessons learned to build trust in our community.
YOAB member Josephine Orth reflected upon her experiences so far: “While at first it was somewhat intimidating to converse in that extended way to someone I had never met before, I found my officer, and seemingly everyone else in the room, to be extremely open, both willing to listen, and willing to talk. The Youth Ambassador Officers treated us from the beginning like equals in a partnership, not students or kids.”
Officer Jill Mahoney, one of the department’s first Youth Ambassadors, said she and her peers are eager to meet with teen community members. “We hope lots of other youth from Boulder come to eat some pizza with us, tour the police department, and see what policing in Boulder and public safety work is all about,” Mahoney said.
Officers and youth gathered throughout the 2023-24 school year for team development activities that promoted self-reflection, trust-building, and cooperation. They have also had question and answer sessions together, where both youth and officers asked frank and honest questions of each other, and individual officers and youth were given time to reply.
In addition, the Boulder Police Department hosted a visit with YOAB at the public safety building for young people to learn through seeing the city’s emergency dispatch center, touring the department, attending a patrol briefing, and asking questions throughout.
“Policing has always been a heated topic,” YOAB Member Madelyn Barnes said. “Before starting this work, I realized that I needed to enter the situation with an open mind. I was elated when the officers did the same thing. Every single officer and Boulder Police Department member we spoke with received our information and opinions with non-judgmental acceptance. I had no idea it would be so easy to discuss my thoughts and perspective of being a teen with the officers, but I’m glad it was.”
In 2023-24, four Youth Ambassador Officers participated in the working group. This is a voluntary collateral duty for officers. An enthusiastic 10 officers have volunteered to continue this work with YOAB during the 2024-25 school year.
“YOAB and BPD have built a strong foundation for the future to build on and expand,” Barnes said. “This program has been very successful in the short amount of time we’ve had to work together, and I believe we are ending the year on a strong basis. It will only grow stronger as this work continues.”
