Minister of Justice - National Youth Justice Policing Award 2007

• Message from the Minister
• Minister of Justice - National Youth Justice Policing Award
• Winner - Constable Sarah Riddell - York Regional Police
• Certificate of Distinction - Constable Dwayne Cebryk - RCMP Selkirk Detachment
• Video of winner and runner-up for 2007
  • Information on Video Streaming Technology
• Transcript of video

Message from the Minister
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As Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, I would like to congratulate the recipients of the eighth annual Minister of Justice National Youth Justice Policing Award.

This award recognizes police officers who display excellence and innovation in dealing with youth who come into conflict with the law. This year’s recipients have all demonstra­ted a strong commitment to their communities by working so tirelessly to develop new ways of supporting youth justice.

I am also pleased to take this occasion to recognize the work of all police officers across Canada. Canada's police officers are recognized throughout the world for their dedication, skill and professionalism.

Working with youth who come into conflict with the law provides police officers with unique challenges and real opportunities to make a difference in the lives of troubled youth. Officers need to hold youth accountable for their actions, while also providing guidance and support to help these youth make smarter choices in the future.

Police officers today are in a unique position to understand the complex issues surrounding youth in conflict with the law and the need for an approach that looks not only at enfor­cement, but also at prevention and community involvement. They recognize that youth often need support to help them get, and stay, on the right path.

On behalf of all Canadians, I thank this year’s award recipients and each and every officer for their hard work and dedication to keeping our communities safe.

The Honourable Rob Nicholson
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Minister of Justice
National Youth Justice Policing Award
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The Minister of Justice National Youth Justice Policing Award was established in 2000 in collaboration with the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police (CACP). The award recognizes police officers who, singly or as a team, develop approaches for dealing with youth in conflict with law that go beyond the formal court system. It celebrates innovative policing and serves to inform the police and wider community about creative responses to youth crime.

The award recognizes programs and approaches that use measures outlined in the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) including:

• Extrajudicial measures under Part I of the YCJA (eg. no further action, warnings, cautions, referrals to community agencies as alternatives to the formal court system);
• Conferencing as a means of providing advice to decision makers through the youth justice process; or
• Measures that contribute to the rehabilitation and reintegration of a young person who has been found guilty.

To be considered for the award, the programs and approaches must use these measures to provide proportionate responses to offending conduct. The responses should be aimed at helping young people understand the impact of their actions and encouraging the involvement of parents, families and communities in the justice system.

The Department of Justice would like to thank all of the police services, agencies and detachments that submitted nominations for this year’s award. Please visit the departmental website in spring of 2008 for information on next year’s Minister of Justice National Youth Justice Policing Award.

Winner
Constable Sarah Riddell
York Regional Police
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Police Constable Sarah Riddell of the York Regional Police is the recipient of the 2007 Minister of Justice National Youth Justice Award. By wor­king with youth, commu­nities and other police offi­cers in the development of inno­vative and effective extrajudicial measures and prevention programs, Constable Riddell has taken her position of Youth Coordinator to a whole new level.

Since her appointment as Youth Coordinator in August 2006, Constable Riddell has embraced the guiding principles of the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) in her work with youth in conflict with the law. As part of an extrajudicial measures program, Constable Riddell has developed unique and effec­tive pre-charge referral programs for youth. For example, the police dodge ball program provides referred youth and police officers with a rare oppor­tunity to interact through a sporting activity, while the Toronto Arson Project for Children (TAPP-C) brings fire service and counselling professionals together with families to deal with youth involved in fire-related offences.

In addition to programs for youth in conflict with the law, Constable Riddell has involved com­munity partners to create programs for at-risk youth and communities in crisis. For one geographically-isolated community, Constable Riddell partnered with the city and local Salvation Army youth group to organize an on-going Friday-night program for youth that includes a BBQ and a choice of activities, ranging from organized sports to crafts. She also organized a Family Day for the same community which, in addition to games and activities, provided an opportunity for parents to take part in a substance abuse prevention workshop.

This work is all in addition to the numerous youth mentorship programs that Constable Riddell has created or been involved with. She continues to push herself and others to rise to the challenge of helping young people to make smart choices.

Certificate of Distinction
Constable Dwayne Cebryk
RCMP Selkirk Detachment
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Constable Dwayne Cebryk, of the Selkirk, Manitoba detachment of the RCMP, is the recipient of the 2007 Certificate of Distinction for his work with the Selkirk Team for At - Risk Teens (S.T.A.R.T.).

S.T.A.R.T, created in 2002, involves numerous provincial and community partners working together with the RCMP to identify local youth known as having a high involvement with crime or those deemed at risk of future involvement. The S.T.A.R.T team works with the identified youth and their families to develop strategies to assist the youth in making smarter choices.

S.T.A.R.T is innovative in its ability to be both proactive and reactive as it responds to at-risk youth and to those already involved in the criminal justice system. The S.T.A.R.T program has adopted the principles and goals set out in the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) for youth justice, using the tools that the YCJA provides, such as extrajudicial measures and conferences, to address offending conduct by youth. By looking at the root causes behind the youth’s behaviour, S.T.A.R.T provides a tailored approach for each participant and takes into account cultural and family issues. Traditions and beliefs are incorporated into a plan that is meaningful for the youth, thereby maximizing the opportunity for success.

Constable Cebyrk has been instrumental in bringing together partner agencies and works diligently at maintaining these relationships to ensure the on-going success of S.T.A.R.T. His dedication to the program is well demonstrated by the support that he has built for it among his colleagues and within the detachment. His continued efforts in his unit and in the community have been vital to the success of the program.