Serious Habitual Offender Program (SHOP)

An intervention program is a combination of strategies designed to improve health status, or improve behavior changes among individuals or a whole entire population. This may include educational programs, new or stronger polices by the government, health promotion campaigns and not excluding stronger or new policies initiated by the government. The Calgary Police Services have developed an intervention program called SHOP (Serious Habitual Offender Program). Introduced in 1988, it focuses on intervention of serious young offenders and targets youth involved with gangs or at risk of becoming gang members in the city of Calgary who are not benefiting from existing police youth crime prevention programs. Youth participation and involvement

(Rowllagen, April 2012). A targeted approach by current offender management units concentrate on younger repeat offenders, instead of returning them into environments that encourage their criminal behaviors, the team facilitates contact with family members or city social agencies that provide a better chance for the youth to escape the criminal lifestyle. Offenders are accountable to their release probation conditions and when in breach they are swiftly dealt with. (Calgary Herald, 2017). Calgary Police Services have developed comprehensive strategies comprised of a variety of elements that is education, prevention, disruption and investigation. All year round educational gang presentations to the public via schools and community events are scheduled to raise awareness. Community Resource Officers (CROs) are available in schools and at the local district offices, which are easily contacted, and are dedicated to working with youth who are at risk of being drawn into organized crime. Connecting the community is the key when it comes to prevention. Collaboration of programs that target youth at risk like Start Smart, Stay Safe(S4), Youth at Risk Development(YARD), Multi Agency School Support Teams(MASST), and cadet programs with the police, have a better chance of success when combatting crime. Early prevention is the targeting point. Disruption, suppression initiatives and direct monitoring of known offenders residing in our communities, improve public safety thus hindering recruitment, enjoyment and use illicit money. Gang suppression teams are a task force that visit nightclubs, bars and restaurants mostly at night to patrol and pick up wanted or curfew violators who are not in compliance with their probation or enforceable conditions.