Police collaborate with community partners to support Arlington’s youth – Arlington County, Virginia Official Website

Published on May 09, 2023

Arlington, Va. – Arlington County Police Department (ACPD); AHC Inc. (AHC) and Life Enhancement Center (LEC) has partnered to provide literacy instruction to elementary students through AHC’s Gates of Ballston after-school program. The mentoring program is part of a three-phase approach between ACPD’s Community Engagement Division and AHC to support positive youth development through education and relationship building, and to enhance the long-term partnership between ACPD and AHC.

“Since the Community Engagement Unit’s inception in June 2021, officers assigned to the Youth Outreach Unit (YOU) have actively worked to partner with community organizations to support and engage Arlington’s youth in community-based activities and programs,” said Deputy Chief Wayne Vincent. “Community partnerships like ours with AHC and the Life Enhancement Center allow us to embrace this unique opportunity to make a difference in the lives of young people in Arlington.”

“Our partnership with ACPD furthers the mission of using educational and social services to help residents build stable and successful lives,” said Paul Bernard, President and CEO of AHC Inc. “We are grateful for the partnership with ACPD and Life.Enrichment Center to bring valuable educational programs to youth in our AHC community.

Life Enhancement Center (LEC) teaching literacy
In early 2023, ACPD and AHC began partnering with the Center for Life Enhancement, a nonprofit organization to provide literacy and other life-enhancing initiatives to elementary students in Title 1 schools in Virginia. Since February, volunteer ACPD officers and professional staff members have been paired with Nine 1.^St and 2^Th Grade students at AHC’s Gates of Ballston after-school program. A coalition of ACPD and AHC students meet weekly and work to read at or above the student’s grade level while creating lasting relationships. “Students who can read proficiently by third grade are four times more likely to graduate from high school. Our partnership with ACPD and AHC will ensure that children have the tools they need to excel academically and in life,” said Kevin Turpin, LEC President and Founder.

Know your rights
Know your rights It is a curriculum designed to teach 6^Th-12^Th Help Arlington students learn about Virginia laws and the skills they need to make good decisions, not break the law, and become active members of their community. Participants in Know your rights Take guided discussions led by ACPD officers on a variety of topics, including drugs, opioids, alcohol, dating violence, and the basics of criminal and civil law. Topics are presented throughout the year at various AHC properties and are open to youth and their guardians.

radKIDS®
ACPD officers use approaches and practices radKIDS® A guide to helping young people replace fear with knowledge, skills, and power while developing their child’s critical thinking skills and physical resilience. Recently, ACPD partnered with AHC to begin offering the radKIDS® curriculum after school at the Harvey Hall property to expand learning to include students in Kindergarten through 5th grade.

About ACPD’s Community Engagement Unit: As part of our core community engagement, ACPD is committed to maintaining strong partnerships like AHC and LEC to make relationships in the Arlington community more trustworthy. You will continue to connect with Arlington youth throughout the summer months with two sessions of Summer Safety Camp and an expanded Youth Police Academy. To learn more about our youth outreach program and to apply for the Junior Police Academy, visit our website.