Youth Services Program

Lindsay's Youth Services Program was started in 1993 and is a cooperative, joint effort maintained by the City of Lindsay, the Department of Public Safety, and the Lindsay School District.

The program was started as a diversion for Lindsay's youth to keep from adding to the already over-burdened juvenile court system. The program affords juveniles and their parents the option to be held accountable for their behavior without having a formal criminal record or being placed on formal probation through the juvenile court system.

The Youth Services Officers' duties include being on the school campuses to be available to counsel students, solve minor behavioral problems and to give classroom presentations on various topics.

The Youth Services Officer conducts informal probation hearings, performs curfew sweeps, and makes arrests for criminal violations and warrants issued by the courts.

Juveniles who commit crimes are counseled in house, assigned community service hours, referred to the Thunderbolt officer, or referred to the juvenile court, depending on the severity of their crimes.

Juvenile offenders who are assigned community service hours are supervised by the Youth Services Officer on Saturdays. The community service workers complete work assignments for non-profit organizations, churches, and at city owned work sites.

Juveniles referred to the Thunderbolt program are placed on either informal or formal probation and enter into a contract with the Probation Officer and agree to abide by the terms of their contract. Violators face the possibility of being referred to the juvenile court or having more conditions added to their probation. They may also be assigned community service hours, have curfews set and be restricted as to their association with other juveniles.

The Youth Services program has numerous resources available to assist the community. These resources include drug and alcohol counseling, gang intervention and suppression, employment through C-SET, dental and medical services, financial assistance with food and utilities and various other programs which are made available to the public.

Interaction with juveniles, the Youth Services Officer and the community have shown a marked decrease in juvenile crimes which include curfew violations, vandalism, vehicle and residential burglaries and has shown a higher attendance in the schools.

For further information on the Youth Services program, contact the Youth Services Officer at (559) 562-2511.