County probation wraps summer youth program; detained youth count rises slightly

Jeff Thompson, chief probation officer, told the Board of Supervisors on Aug. 5 that the county's youth summer program will conclude Friday with an end-of-year barbecue and slideshow after two months of activities and outings. The program provided cooking, gardening, arts and crafts, outdoor activities and mentorship, and Thompson said the sheriff's office provided a canine demonstration during the program.

"We've had the sheriff come over and do a canine demonstration for us," Thompson said, describing cooperation with other county departments. He invited supervisors to attend the barbecue at 12:00 p.m. at the juvenile center on Missouri Canyon Road.

Thompson also reported a small increase in detained youth: "Detained, we have, 3 currently," he said. He characterized the rise as a modest uptick following a few serious juvenile incidents during the past year and noted that, because of small absolute numbers, percentage changes can appear large but do not necessarily indicate a broader trend.

The board thanked probation staff for the program, and Thompson credited the board for supporting youth programming that provides mentorship and out-of-county outings for participants.