The Mentor Connector Response Team will use intervention and motivation to encourage positive lifestyles and refer youth-at risk to the appropriate community resources.

“Safer, stronger communities hinge on how we support our most vulnerable members,” said Alison Redford, Minister of Justice and Attorney General. “If we can intervene with young people showing signs of going down the wrong path we stand a much better chance of preventing criminal activity in their future.” Redford made the funding announcement when she met with Drayton Valley residents at a community meeting.

The Mentor Connector Response Team brings together representatives from local agencies and police to work face-to-face with youth participating in the program. Young people are provided with pro-social activities, community involvement, and positive interactions from adults in hopes of creating optimism for the future. Individual, specialized intervention plans will be developed for each youth.

“Drayton Valley has always stepped up to address community concerns head-on,” said Mayor Moe Hamdon. “This program not only shows how committed our local agencies are to helping our young people, but it shows that, as a community, we care deeply about our youth.”

The Mentor Connector Response Team is a partnership between the Town of Drayton Valley and 11 other community agencies including the RCMP and Family and Community Support Services.

“Education programs, police support, and positive youth activities already exist in our community,” said Drayton Valley-Calmar MLA and former Mayor of Drayton Valley Diana McQueen. “This project pulls them all together in a coordinated effort.”

“The crimes we are trying to reduce through this project are thefts, assaults, mischief and vandalism and youth involvement in drugs,” added RCMP Corporal Greg Gerbrandt. “By getting kids involved in positive, supportive activities we have an opportunity to steer them in the right direction.”

SCIF funding of $253,000 will help to develop intervention plans for 125 youth at-risk. The fund builds on the work of the Safe Communities initiative to address crime on an immediate basis, as well as over the long-term. Funding criteria, application forms, and a list of the first year SCIF projects are available at http://www.safecommunities.gov.ab.ca/scif.