Report back from Plenary Session
BY: KYLE VENKTES
The aim of the Police and Youth dialogue was to highlight problems faced by the justice system concerning youth and children. In many countries democracy is described as being ‘good for the children’ yet, the question is asked, 'Is democracy good for children?' Discussants stated that not only are young people the future but they are also the present. When a child is born, he or she is not born with any political direction and because of this it is the innocence of the youth that can save a nation.
The first discussant to address the delegates was Ms A Santos, Judge for juvenile justice in San Salvador in El Salvador. Ms Santos stated that the up-bringing of children in an environment where parents often cannot afford basic necessities for their children (ie. food and water) pose as a problem. Children are forced onto the streets and into prostitution, drugs and gang related activities because after school children lack extra-curricular activities.
Ms Hanna Buyne the second discussant is judge for juvenile justice in the Netherlands. Buyne explained that as a judge, she was often put in the situation where a young person would be convicted and would have to find a way not to just punish, but rectify the problem. Organisations in the Netherlands seek help for the younger siblings of youth who go on trial to prevent them from making the same mistake (and in turn being arrested and going through the same procedure). Organisations also look at why convicted youth behave the way they do. Buyne concluded by saying that it doesn’t take parents to raise children, but a whole village to raise a child.
Susan Pienaar of SAPS mentioned the Community Policing Forums of which members are elected from and by the community. The members are linked to a policing committee who advise at a provincial level. Within the Community Policing Forums, youth desks are enabled to gather input and ideas from the youth.
The fourth discussant, Ms Marie Johansson-Meinke of the Swedish National Police is a Superintendent specialising in children and youth. At first, these youth organisations were started by communities, the police then adopted the idea and community youth boards consisting of local youths were implemented. Johansson-Meinke said that the youth boards were not entirely successful because the youth board members were not of violent and poor environments and had no direct feel of crime and poverty.
In conclusion it was said that more focus needs to be placed on strategies to combat crime with the youth and more emphasis needs to be placed on extra-curricular activities. More pro-active organisations concerning the family need to be implemented, discussions need to take place about youth in war and conflict. Delegates and discussants both want to see INTERPOL come out with a strategy to alleviate crime with the youth. The most important question raised was, does legal action concern crime only take place after legislation or is there more we can actually do?
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