Supporting Factors
The development of the SHIELD program in Westminster benefited greatly from four supporting factors. First and foremost, the program received visionary leadership and support from the administration of the Westminster Police Department, which—by recognizing the importance of targeted prevention and the role of law enforcement support for community collaboration in delinquency prevention—made the SHIELD program possible. Second, Westminster secured Federal block grant funding to initiate the program and support it through its early development. However, external funding has not been required for continued program operation beyond the period of the initial grant. Third, the development of the Youth and Family Resource Team and the provision of services to youth benefited from the strong community ties and collaboration that the police department had already established. Fourth, the presence within the Westminster Police Department of a Research and Planning Office with a full-time social psychologist and several research associates allowed for an internal formative evaluation during the first year of SHIELD program operation and a 1-year followup. The evaluation facilitated the development of SHIELD by identifying unanticipated obstacles to full implementation and providing timely feedback to program administrators from a trusted source.| Previous | Contents | Next |
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