Southeast Polk board hears proposal for HEARD juvenile diversion collaborative

A presenter to the Southeast Polk Community School District board outlined HEARD, a proposed regional juvenile diversion collaborative intended to provide an intermediary option between informal police interventions and formal juvenile court.

The presenter, who described HEARD as an acronym for "human empowerment and restorative diversion," said the model grew from conversations with the Altoona Police Department and Chief Stallman and took inspiration from West Des Moines— Youth Justice Initiative (YJI). "HEARD stands for human empowerment and restorative diversion," the presenter said.

The presenter said local police officers reported a rising number of low-level offenses at middle and high schools and recurring involvement by the same small groups of juveniles. The proposed program would create…