This is gross. A child. Police are required by law to divert children, as much as possible, away from the criminal legal system. Youth charged with a crime are 6x more likely to be arrested/charged again later in life because the system hurts them and their development.

I don’t shout “expertise” often, but I’ve written a textbook about the topic, called Trauma-Informed Youth Justice in Canada, and there are layers of ‘wrong’ with this tweet by WRPS. A reminder that police don’t understand — or care to understand — the harms they can cause.

Putting a child in handcuffs and strip searching for detention are part of the trauma that impacts future behaviour. The police should have diverted precharge. The law is explicit that diversion can happen even where the situation is deemed serious and even when it is repetitive.

The fact that police are flaunting the arrest of a 14 year demonstrates an absence of understanding about community safety. Diversion includes support + accountability. We have one of the best diversion orgs/programs in the country, locally.