Teen And Police Service Academy Analysis

Introduction This paper will evaluate the Teen and Police Service Academy to figure out what changes or improvements are needed for the enhancement and betterment of the program. Program evaluations are helpful because the results find what works and why and decides the relevance of the program (Westat, 2010). According to McDavid, Huse, and Hawtorn (2013) Needs assessments provide evidence for choices in the provision of services to benefit society. Furthermore, “needs assessments facilitates building relationships among service providers and assist in finding ways to deliver services with a more holistic view of the service recipient” (pg. 228). Teens and Police Service Academy (TAPS) is an eleven-week program implemented to merge the distance
The TAPS Academy was founded in 2011 by Dr. Everette Penn and retired Assistant Chief of Houston Police Department Brian Lumpkin in Houston Texas (TAPS, 2017). The academy is accredited by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and funded by the Department of Justice COPS grant. Since 2011 other sites have been opened across the country, totaling nine programs, including two outside of the U.S. (TAPS, 2017). TAPS Academy bridges the gap between at-risk youth and police officers by involving the police department officers as mentors to the youth (TAPS, 2017). Programs that are successful are based on theory; therefore, the TAPS program uses the Social Bond and Social Control theory. According to the rationale of its founders by using these theories, mentoring and attachments foster positive connections and conventional which would establish positive goals. Furthermore, personal involvement in activities limits opportunities for delinquent activities. As a result, social norms and values become an internal belief in conformity
During off duty-hours Houston Police Department Officers mentor at-risk-youth placed in juvenile detention, alternative schools, high schools, and other restrictive or rehabilitative settings (TAPS, 2017). The curriculum consisted of 10 subjects: (1) conflict resolution (2) gang membership (3) bullying (4) sexting and dating abuse (5) team building (6) nutrition and gardening (7) safe driving (9) drugs and alcohol and (10) active shooter. There is a ratio of 1:5 officer to student ratio. The class consisted of topic presentations, small group, and role play/reflection. According to TAPS (2017), a significant part of the academy experience is the mentor, and mentee engagement that allows lasting bonds to be developed and each can learn from each other by communicating and breaking down stereotypes while bridging the social distance between the two groups. There will be an exploratory nonexperimental research performed using a mixed-method research design. A regression model and a correlation design model will be used to evaluate the TAPS program to determine the reliability and validity of the program across the nine locations. A qualitative method will be used to perform by examining case study through the use of surveys. According to USAID (2013) incorporating multiple methods into a evaluation provides a