2021 COMBAT Funding: $53,200.00

In Family Court's Own Words

The Night Light Program (NLP) is utilized to assist primary Juvenile Probation Officers in maintaining or stabilizing youth in the community by conducting late night curfew checks at the youths' residences, encouraging compliance and community safety through the law enforcement presence in the various communities of Jackson County. Evening and late night operations occur between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. at a rate of five to seven nights per week. Telephone checks are conducted as well, as a means to fortify the face-to-face checks with the probation officer/sworn staff team.

Because of COVID-19, there are current restrictions that have been put in place to ensure the safety of the community, households, and staff.

Leaning On Program Due To Pandemic

The Family Court has leaned on Night Light during the pandemic due to social distancing restrictions which limit youth and families’ ability to attend court and office visits in person. Officers are connecting with their assigned youth in the field and conducting virtual programming. Night Light is now an even more vital mechanism to allow officers to determine if there are problems at the home, as well as to assess how youth are adjusting in the community.

We understand that stress levels are high because of financial challenges, and in many cases, housing, health and food insecurities. The Night Light officer checks on kids and reports back to the Juvenile Probation Officer if any assistance is needed as identified by child or parent.

These random, regular contacts also ensure that youth are complying with the rules and conditions of their Court ordered supervision. Youth are also referred to the program as a condition of re-entering the community from the Hilltop Treatment Center or other Court ordered private placement facilities.

A Collaborative Effort

The Night Light Program is a collaborative effort between the Jackson County Family Court and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department. Officers from the Sheriff’s Department voluntarily sign up for extra duty shifts to accompany Night Light Juvenile Probation Officers in the community to conduct curfew checks at the residence. Nightly ride outs are scheduled between the Kansas City metro area and Eastern Jackson County, and most typically occur in the crime mapping “hot spots.”

The continuation of funding from COMBAT pays the contractual salary to the Sheriff’s Department. No other administrative, program or operational costs or overhead expenditures are supported with COMBAT funds. Grant funds do not cover the total cost of our ride outs. Due to the increased violence in the community, we have no choice but to ride with two Sheriff’s deputies, which increases the cost. The community respects the Sheriff’s deputies and the family court staff appreciate and recognize them as vital resources in our community.

Random Drug Testing

As a secondary service, the Night Light Program’s stated program objectives includes the random administering of drug screens and tests, as well as checks on school attendance. As kids go back to school, the Night Light staff will then provide school checks as they have done previously.

We are also helping our youth find work with the court Educational Liaison engaging them with education and/or vocational assistance and to facilitate Drug Education and Anger Management groups.  

The Night Light officers, in conjunction with the assigned Juvenile Probation Officer, have assured that each youthful offender in the program has drug screens and the necessary treatment and or education referrals. The drug testing procedures have been changed to provide the detection of more substances.  Where officers formerly tested urine for 10 substances, they now utilize mouth swabs, which test for 15 different substances. The Night Light officer and deputy teams are also vital to assist the Family Court by conducting courtesy residential checks on AWOL youth with pending capias (warrants).

Two Full-Time Probation Officers

The Night Light Program is staffed with two full time, tenured Juvenile Probation Officers, a Program Manager and administrative/clerical support. During 2019-20, six additional juvenile probation officers were trained and utilized as back-up Night Light officers, allowing the Family Court’s Field Services Department to expand surveillance and curfew checks. The result has been increased compliance and adherence to Court-ordered rules and conditions of supervision. The program is provided with ongoing program and research evaluation by the Family Court's department of Assessment and Development.

From the Family Court Assessment and Development Department for 2019 - only 6% (5/77) of program youth received new legally sufficient referrals.  This is a success rate of 94%, exceeding the goal of 90% for 2020.