Governance Through Perception: Rethinking Evaluation in Police-Led Youth Programs

The leaders of police-led youth programs and police mentors who align their definitions of success with public needs can better address the concerns of underrepresented groups. Traditional public administration’s definitions of success, however, may restrict public servants’ ability to serve their communities effectively. In this article, we examine how leaders of police-led youth programs and police mentors define success in such programs, we gained insights into how public organizations can support the well-being of marginalized youth. The findings reveal that the criteria for success in the programs differ from conventional standards, especially by emphasizing community impact over procedural metrics. Using public value theory, we investigated how the programs generate societal value while drawing on the perspectives of program leaders and officers regarding meaningful outcomes for both individuals and communities.