ORANJESTAD, Aruba – Aruba Police Youth Crime Training has provided officers of the Aruba Police Force with specialized instruction on recognizing, understanding and responding more effectively to crime involving young people, based on research by renowned criminologist Dr. Henk Ferwerda.
Police Commissioner Ramon Arnhem continues working to strengthen professional cooperation and create opportunities for officers of the Cuerpo Policial Aruba (KPA) to receive high-level training in areas that directly affect public safety and the wider community.
At Arnhem’s invitation, criminologist Dr. Henk Ferwerda recently visited Aruba and delivered an intensive two-day training program to police officers.
The sessions focused specifically on youth crime and on helping officers better understand the circumstances that can place young people at risk of becoming involved in criminal behavior.
According to KPA, the training was based in part on findings from Ferwerda’s study “De Schaduwkant van Aruba.” His research provided officers with information and perspectives that can help them identify warning signs, understand the underlying causes of youth crime and determine how to respond more effectively.
The Aruba Police Youth Crime Training emphasized four key areas: recognizing youth crime, understanding the problem, identifying warning signals and taking appropriate action when officers encounter vulnerable young people or criminal behavior involving youth.
One of the most important conclusions presented during the sessions was that youth crime in Aruba cannot be viewed solely as a police problem.
According to the training, the issue is a broader social challenge in which vulnerability, limited opportunities, social circumstances and criminal behavior can intersect.
This means that law enforcement alone cannot solve the problem.
A purely repressive approach focused only on arrests and punishment may not address the deeper social conditions that contribute to youth crime. At the same time, the training emphasized that prevention without clear limits, rules and consequences is also not sufficient.
The message presented to officers was therefore one of balance.
Effective responses to youth crime require both prevention and enforcement, while also recognizing the importance of education, family circumstances, social opportunities and support for vulnerable young people.
The training also encouraged officers to better understand the environments in which young people live. Recognizing social pressures, lack of opportunities and other risk factors can help police identify situations before they develop into more serious criminal behavior.
For KPA, professional development in this area is part of a wider effort to ensure that officers are prepared to respond not only to crimes after they occur but also to understand the social factors connected to them.
Aruba Police Youth Crime Training also highlights the importance of cooperation between law enforcement and other parts of society.
Schools, families, social organizations, youth professionals and government agencies can all play a role in preventing young people from becoming involved in crime.
KPA expressed its appreciation to Dr. Henk Ferwerda for travelling to Aruba, dedicating his time to the training and sharing his expertise and research findings with local police personnel.
The police organization said the knowledge gained during the two-day program will contribute to the continued professional development of its officers and strengthen their ability to respond to youth-related challenges.
Commissioner Arnhem’s approach remains focused on investing in personnel and strengthening professional training so the Aruba Police Force can continue improving its knowledge and operational capacity.
The course reinforces the idea that addressing youth crime requires more than police intervention alone. It calls for a coordinated approach that combines clear standards, prevention, social support and effective enforcement to better protect both young people and the wider Aruba community.
