On Wednesday, April 27, the Miami-Dade Police Department takes a major step in its efforts to prevent juvenile violence, when 25 officers from the Northside and South Districts start training for the Youth Outreach Unit (YOU).

The YOU, part of a major effort to combat juvenile crime announced March 30, is based on the community policing model, but targets individuals rather than an area.  Upon completing the training, police officers will be assigned as mentors to specific young people who have been identified as being “at-risk.” 

Each YOU will be deliberate in its approach to reduce the likelihood of the identified at-risk youth becoming involved in criminal activity by partnering with other agencies to provide services to them and their families. For example, the YOU will use County services provided by departments such as Public Works and Code Enforcement, to deal with quality of life concerns.

Acting Director Alfredo Ramirez III will be available for interviews at 8:30 a.m.