Cops press Minn. lawmakers to spend more on youth intervention

Anoka County Sheriff James Stuart
Anoka County Sheriff James Stuart speaks in support of diversion programs where caring adults invest time in young people during a news conference on Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2014.
Sasha Aslanian / MPR News

Programs designed to keep young people out of the juvenile justice system want Minnesota lawmakers to double their funding next session.

The Youth Intervention Programs Association receives $5 million now from the Legislature with the money spread across two years and 182 programs statewide.

Diversion programs improve lives, save money and keep communities safer, law enforcement leaders said during a Wednesday press conference.

Anoka County Sheriff Jim Stuart told how a police officer mentored him and kept him from going down the wrong path. "He gave of his time, but more importantly, he gave of himself," Stuart said. "He changed who I am and he changed my future."

The Youth Interventions Programs Association estimates as many as 35,000 teens and their families are helped by its member programs every year in Minnesota.

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