Since the launch of YPI in 2008, the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office has maintained and nurtured relationships between the communities youth, police, and prosecutors. YPI is a training program created by the Massachusetts-based North American Family Institute to enhance police officers and prosecutors understanding of the beliefs, values, and experiences of local youth, while ensuring that youth develop a genuine regard for the challenges that police officers face on the job.

Over the years the program has been led by the Spring Valley Police Department with the assistance from the District Attorney’s Office and other local law enforcement agencies. Within this context, YPI provides structured dialogue, team building and role playing scenarios that allow all participants - youth, educators, police and prosecutors - to tackle the real and hard issues of crime prevention and community policing. YPI is an opportunity for Rockland County's police departments to increase their visibility in their communities and to bring about positive changes in their relationships with local at-risk youth. The YPI program curriculum has been developed to produce positive results for a variety of law enforcement officials, emergency medical first responders, prosecutors, and government officials. The instructors of the program interact with specially selected and trained at-risk youth from high crime neighborhoods. Each and every YPI program is adapted to fit the specific needs of the community being served.

Youth & Police Initiative

• Program objectives of Rockland County's Youth and Police Initiative: Enhance officers' community policing skills

• Strengthen prosecutors' knowledge of the community

• Build long-term positive relationships between local police, prosecutors, and Rockland County's at-risk youth

• Create links to positive, pro-social community resources

• Create possibilities for mentorship

• Facilitate ways for youth to learn about career paths in Public Safety

• Build upon initial trainings with continuing, planned activities

• Provide resources on how to seek assistance from a law enforcement agency or prosecutors’ office.

The Rockland County District Attorney’s Office in connection with the Spring Valley Police Department has continued to ensure that the YPI program remains a constant resource for the youth of our community. Since the start of the program in 2008, there have been approximately 1,500 YPI youth graduates, ranging in ages from 9 years old to 17 years old.

“The Rockland County District Attorney's Office has been a long time supporter of the Spring Valley Youth Police Initiative (YPI) program. YPI is a training program aimed to enhance police and prosecutors understanding of the beliefs, values, and experiences of local students, while ensuring that they learn the challenges that law enforcement face. The Spring Valley PD YPI program is making a difference and it’s an honor for the Office to participate in this very successful program.” - District Attorney Thomas E. Walsh II