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Youth Services

The Calgary Police Service offers a variety of mentorship, intervention and educational programs for youth and young adults from aged 5 to 18+. These programs offer an opportunity for youth to interact with officers who will work with them to encourage positive behaviours, and help with navigating challenging situations.

Calgary Police Service youth education programs

  • The Integrated School Support Program (ISSP) is a prevention-based initiative that merges a variety of programs. The goal is to create an environment to support students both academically and socially.
  • Start Smart Stay Safe is a program where police officers engage with students in the classroom in a variety of strengths-based lessons.
  • School Resource Officers are sworn officers who are placed within schools to create a positive image of law enforcement and provide mentorship to students.

Calgary Police Service mentorship programs

  • Junior Police Academy gives youths aged 12 to 16 the opportunity to find out what it is like to be a police officer.
  • Calgary Police Cadet Corps is a youth program based on the Canadian Military Cadet Programs (Army, Navy, and Air) that have been operating successfully for over 100 years.
  • The Calgary Police Auxiliary program is a mentorship program within the Calgary Police Service that gives young adults the opportunity to work for the Calgary Police Service alongside sworn police officers at the District offices.
  • Power Play is a drop-in program for youth aged six to 17. The program is free and allows youth who have cultural or financial barriers the opportunity to play hockey free of charge.
  • SuperKids promotes and reinforces positive behaviours. This program allows the opportunity for the Calgary Police Service to build relationships with the city’s youth and provides youth with positive police interaction.

Calgary Police Service youth intervention programs

  • Youth at Risk Development (YARD) is a community-based early intervention initiative that supports youth who are at risk of gang involvement. The YARD program works with youth aged 10-17 who are currently at risk, affiliated with a gang or involved in gang activity. Youth participation in YARD is voluntary.
  • Multi-Agency School Support Team (MASST) intervenes and connects clients from ages 5-12 with existing social resources that they may find beneficial. These referrals are done on a case-by-case basis. MASST currently addresses risk factors at the child, family and community levels.
  • The Gateway Initiative is a program designed to facilitate a connection between the police, young people, their families and appropriate community resources. Gateway is designed to intervene with youth who commit a chargeable but minor offence. The youth must accept responsibility for the offence and be willing to participate in the program.
  • The ReDirect Program is a prevention and education program aimed at youth and young adults vulnerable to becoming radicalized, before they develop extremist ideologies or intentions.
  • The Serious Habitual Offender Program (SHOP) is a community-based crime intervention program focusing on prevention, reduction and enforcement, targeting habitual youth offenders between the ages of 12 and 21.