When our field officers visit street associations of children and youth, they speak to the members to help them with their problems. An issue that continues to surface is the problem of police harassment.

Our street association members are often arrested for no reason. While it is true that sometimes children and youth engage in illegal activities, this is not always the case. Due to negative perceptions, the police and society at large automatically assume that they are misbehaving.

We want to end undue harassment of these children and youth and are working to lobby the police department so that they understand that street association members are working to turn their lives around. But how do you end police discrimination against a group of people who are ordinarily seen as criminals? Does the fault lie with the police, society, or the children and youth themselves? How would you go about solving this issue that burdens the lives of so many street association members?