National Youth Strategy

Youth is one of the RCMP's five strategic priorities. The five primary objectives are:

• to reduce youth involvement in crime, both as victims and offenders;
• to support sustainable long-term responses to youth crime and victimization;
• to support approaches that are consistent with youth justice law;
• to focus on risk factors, prevention and early intervention; and
• to promote youth engagement.

To help achieve these goals, the RCMP designates a youth contact in every province and territory, who supports the development of national youth programs and policy and oversees local initiatives.

Through its National Youth Officer Program, the RCMP educates front-line officers about what causes youth crime and what police and young people can do about it. The accompanying Youth Officer Resource Centre provides officers with tools and resources to assist them when they interact with youth in schools and in the community.

The RCMP believes that long-term prevention of youth crime and victimization can only be accomplished in partnership with the community. The RCMP works closely with local organizations and social services so that young people who come into contact with the police, as either offenders or victims, receive the help they need to overcome challenges in their lives.

The RCMP also sees young people as key players in the prevention of crime in communities. It provides young people with opportunities to provide their perspective on issues that affect them. This enables police officers to more effectively interact with and understand youth. DEAL.org, a by-youth, for-youth website, helps facilitate the youth engagement process and works to raise awareness on topics such as bullying, internet safety, gangs and impaired driving, among others.