---
title: "Youth at Risk Summer Program"
type: "pdf"
year: "1995"
canonical: "/projects/627"
---

![img-0.jpeg](https://popdatasets.blob.core.windows.net/popdatasetmdimgs/95-37/img-0.jpeg)

# Department of Police 

# Table of Contents

- [Department of Police](#department-of-police)
  - [EDWARD N. KONDRACKI, CHIEF](#edward-n-kondracki-chief)

## EDWARD N. KONDRACKI, CHIEF

LA CROSSE, WISCONSIN 54601

May 30, 1995

John Lusardi - PERF
1120 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 930
Washington, D.C. 20037

Dear Mr. Lusardi:

It gives me great pleasure to nominate a City of La Crosse, Wisconsin, Police Problem Solving Team for consideration at the Third Annual Herman Goldstein Excellence in Problem Solving Award presentations.

The Problem Solving Team, consisting of Lieutenant Douglas Groth, Sergeant Raj Ramnarace, and Police Officers Greg Walters, Roger Barnes, Paul Weibel and Jeffrey Graves, was successful in developing a Police/University 5-week Youth at Risk Summer Program. The program has had a substantial impact on the community and, through a partnership developed among the police, the community, businesses and other governmental agencies, is providing alternative activities for youth at risk in the City of La Crosse. During the course of its first year of implementation, the program has maintained an average daily attendance of 192 youth at risk during the entire five consecutive weeks of youth activities. I believe that the problem solving team has identified and developed a summer program which could serve as a model for law enforcement agencies across the country. In addition to sports instruction and competition, the program addresses topics such as self esteem, nutrition, personal health, career counseling, and health related physical fitness. La Crosse police officers participated daily for the entire 5week summer program. The new partnership has resulted in an alternative to gang activity program which is free to all participants and provides a daily U.S.D.A. approved lunch and bus transportation from several community staging locations. The community has contributed almost $\$ 3 \mathrm{~A}, 000$ to the project.

Clearly, one of the major challenges facing law enforcement today and in the future is meeting increasing demands for service with limited and often diminishing resources. Line personnel of the La Crosse Police Department are meeting that challenge through problem solving techniques which engage the community, along with other agencies both private and public, to address the underlying causes of problems as identified by the community. This alternative to gang activity program can be replicated by any police agency through a partnership with local universities and the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

I am, therefore, proud to present this team problem solving effort for consideration as a recipient of the Herman Goldstein Excellence in Problem Solving Award.
![img-1.jpeg](https://popdatasets.blob.core.windows.net/popdatasetmdimgs/95-37/img-1.jpeg)