Youth & Family Services

Youth & Family Services goes above and beyond the role of the traditional juvenile unit and will have different levels of support for youth and families. The idea is to intervene early, interact with the youth and their family and work with them to resolve the issue(s) that may have led to the negative act or crime.

Youth Resources Officers interact with youth in schools. The YRO’s will also work directly with the City’s Teen Centers, after school and in the evenings and get more involved with kids in their out of school environment, on a whole new level. Middle school-age youth will be a primary focus of the unit.

The philosophy is to have an all-encompassing program, working with various community partners to offer alcohol and substance abuse counseling, mental health support and other specialty services. Current partners include the Department of Human Service Programs, Cambridge Prevention Coalition, Cambridge Public Schools, Cambridge Health Alliance, Clerk of the Courts Office, District Attorney’s Office and the Salvation Army.

Of note: The Cambridge Police Department has a number of unique volunteer and employment programs designed specifically for young residents interested in a career in public safety. Through four primary programs —Youth Public Safety Academy, Explorers Program, Youth Police Academy and the Cadet Program — Cambridge youth ages 8-23 years old have several opportunities to gain exposure within the department by meeting with officers, receiving classroom training, gaining hands-on experience, and obtaining valuable leadership skills. Read More. 

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Both "Youth Resource Officers" (YROs) and Juvenile Detectives will be assigned different types of investigations to complete.
• YROs will be assigned those cases involved with their respective schools and will be primarily responsible for diversion cases through the Cambridge Safety Net Collaborative program.
• Juvenile Detectives will be responsible for investigating reports of crimes alleged to have been committed by juveniles and have the ability to still divert cases through the FSU diversion program.
• All FSU officers will assist the Patrol and Investigations sections with calls for service and will have secondary/follow-up responsibility for reports taken.
• Integral member of the Cambridge Safety Net Collaborative focused on prevention, intervention, and diversion strategies aimed at helping Cambridge youth.

CONTACT INFO:

Email

Unit Supervisor: Deputy Superintendent Steven Magalhaes, 617-349-3342
Director of Outreach & Community Programs: Kessen Green, 617-349-6009


Youth Resource Officers: 617-349-3008

Rindge Ave Upper and Peabody Schools:
Officer Pam Morris

Haggerty, Baldwin, Graham and Parks & Vassal Lane Upper:
Officer Devon Brooks

Putnam Ave , Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, & Tobin Montessori Schools:
Officer Che Santos

Cambridge St. Upper and King Open:
Officer John Jones  

HS Extension Program:
Officer Frank Greenidge

Cambridge Rindge & Latin School:
Officer Nicole Pacheco
Officer Frank Greenidge

Morse & Amigos Schools
Officer Ozzie Ortiz

Fletcher-Maynard Academy, Kennedy-Longfellow, Cambridgeport
Officer Anthony Santiago