Public Safety Committee to Review First Year of Youth Diversion and Development in Pasadena

After Pasadena’s first year as a pilot area in the Los Angeles County Youth Diversion and Development Program, the Pasadena Police Department will go over the statistics gathered from the program when it reports Wednesday, Oct. 21, during a special meeting of the City Council’s Public Safety Committee, set to begin at 3 p.m. 

The Youth Diversion and Development Program is part of a comprehensive countywide approach intended to divert young people from the juvenile and criminal justice systems, or, in short, prevent them from being criminally charged and incarcerated. 

The program is administered by the Division of Youth Diversion and Development (YDD), which the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors established in November 2017 within the Los Angeles County Department of Health Service’s Office of Diversion and Reentry. 

YDD was intentionally housed in the county Health Service Department to emphasize the goals of keeping young people out of the justice system and connected to community alternatives.  

The YDD division started programming in 2019 and chose the Pasadena Police Department as one of eight pilot agencies for the program. The Police Department partnered with the Pasadena-based nonprofit Flintridge Center, which provides programs aiming to break the cycle of poverty and violence through community planning, innovation, and action. 

According to a preliminary report to be presented by the Police Department Wednesday, the department refers youth eligible for the Youth Diversion and Development Program to Flintridge Center, which has a case manager funded by the county who conducts assessments and evaluates programming needs. Flintridge Center reports to the Police Department on a regular basis about individual progress, and results are assessed during quarterly meetings with YDD representatives present.  

Between October 2019 and September, the Pasadena Police Department recorded 71 incidents involving youth, and referred a total of 27 cases to Flintridge Center, according to the preliminary report. Of those referred, 10 accepted youth diversion programming, and seven of the 10 have successfully completed the YDD program. 

As a result of completing the program, these youths have had their citations dismissed, their booking information erased, and each has received a letter of congratulations.   

For more information about the Youth Diversion and Development Program, visit www.dhs.lacounty.gov/more-dhs/departments/office-of-diversion-reentry/youth-diversion-and-development. 

Wednesday’s special meeting of the Public Safety Committee is open to all Pasadena residents. To access the online meeting, go to http://pasadena.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?publish_id=9 or watch through www.pasadenamedia.org.