York Town News
Jumpstart mentors help teens connect with their town
By Melissa Wood
Mentors with York Police Department's Jumpstart Program meet to talk about the program shortly before the new session began on Feb. 21. Pictured are, from left, School Resource Officer Bryan Cantara, Carla Kiernan, Matt Kiernan, Dr. Henry Guertin-Ouellette, Neil Rideout, Michelle Knight, Bill Rogan, Irene Bowen and York Ptl. Dan Hurley. Not pictured is Ptl. Jason Guthrie. The program was started by Sgt. Brian Curtin in 1999.
Photo by Melissa Wood
They range in age and are mostly wearing jeans, a sign of those who are done their work for the day and ready to relax. On the table are some snacks including peanut butter cups and bottled water. The building is otherwise empty and quiet.
However, they have not come here after work to relax but to mentor kids in Jumpstart, a program that pairs up first-time, non-violent juvenile offenders with police officers and adult community volunteers to build positive relationships and talk about things such as life skills, the decision making process and how to cope with peer pressure.
Each session is eight weeks long with meetings on Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Usually the same mentors attend up to three sessions per year, depending on when kids are in the program.
"It kind of keeps us young," said Neil Rideout, who works at York High School and is a mentor who keeps coming back. "We get a connection with teenagers we might not get everyday."
With Jumpstart, the teenage offenders are given a first - and only - chance to make amends before being put into the juvenile court system. An example of a teen in the program may be one who has been caught with alcohol and the arresting officer recommends Jumpstart instead of going before a judge.
York's Jumpstart program began in 1999 and is part of the Police Department's mission of community policing that includes over 27 programs that reach out to different members of the town.
This time around, there are eight kids in the program, five from York High School and three from the York Middle School. The program is extremely confidential to protect the members' privacy.
"These kids are basically good kids," said Dr. Henry Guertin-Ouellette, police chaplain and consultant. "They really are."
The mentors, who include police officers in plainclothes instead of their uniforms, come to the sessions dressed down because they want to be more approachable to the kids, explained York High School Resource Officer Bryan Cantara.
He was joined by Patrolman Dan Hurley, dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt instead of a uniform.
"They see that police officers in town are just regular people," said Cantara.
Half of each session is in a class-type setting with worksheets and activities. During the other half, kids are paired off to meet one-to-one with mentors to talk informally.
The mentors and teens usually talk about current events in order to get the teens thinking about the decision-making process and the need to take responsibility for their actions.
"We really try to get them to get involved and get their opinion," said mentor Carla Kiernan.
Although topics may relate to the kids' offenses, the discussions never veer into finger-pointing at the teens. The mentors say they don't care why the kids are there but that they are ready to build positive relationships with the adults and learn the important life lessons they came to share.
"It won't be directed at anyone," said Guertin-Ouellette.
To stay in the program, the teens must refrain form further criminal conduct. They are also required to make a $25 donation to the charity of their choice, write a letter of apology - most times the letter is either to the person they offended or a parent - and perform community service.
The relationships formed in Jumpstart can continue after the classes are over as kids who complete the program are welcome to come back and visit, and mentors are in the community and remain approachable.
Irene Bowen, who works at the high school, said that she continues to talk to those who have gone through the program and now see her as a real person.
"They do hunt you down and seek you out," she said. "You give them five minutes of your time and it goes a long way."
