Richmond RCMP has teamed up with the B.C. government to launch a program whereby a support worker will accompany a Mountie on calls involving vulnerable youth.
The RCMP is partnering with the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) in the hopes of better supporting vulnerable youth in the city.
Under the Yankee-30 Youth Partnership Car initiative, a designated RCMP officer will be responding to calls with either a Youth Justice Services probation officer or a Child Protection Services social worker. The name of the initiative, Yankee-30, stands for the call sign for the car.
“Yankee-30’s focus is to identify and support Richmond youth aged 12 to 18 who are at risk of harm due to their behaviour, vulnerabilities and or exploitation,” explained Richmond RCMP Chief Supt. Dave Chauhan.
“It offers an opportunity for police officers as well as youth probation and social workers to connect with vulnerable youth, their families and support structure, and hopefully will lead many of them away from criminal exploitation and conflicts with the law later in life.”
The idea is similar to the Fox-80 Mental Health Car, where an officer from Richmond RCMP’s Vulnerable Persons Unit would respond to mental health calls along with a psychiatric nurse from Vancouver Coastal Health.
Yankee-30 was launched as a pilot project in January 2023 and is now being implemented as a permanent fixture after recording more than 400 interactions with vulnerable youth and their families during the six-month period.
The interactions, according to Chauhan, included 95 follow-ups for youth probation, 42 follow-ups for social workers, 72 youth wellness checks, 46 curfew checks, 36 youth outreach efforts and assistance to youth-related police investigations.
Cpl. Ian Henderson, Richmond RCMP spokesperson, told the Richmond News the program’s success was measured by feedback from parents and guardians, as the purpose of the car goes beyond enforcing curfews.
Through Yankee-30, vulnerable youth and their families can also get referred to local organizations and resources.
“Through this program, vulnerable youth might receive supports such as counselling, mental health and substance use services, referrals to services such as transition house or information about youth justice issues,” added Richmond South-Centre MLA Henry Yao.
