San Diego City Wire

A recent Youth Symposium and Expo hosted by County Probation brought together youth, parents, teachers, community workers, and partners at the Southeastern Live Well Center in San Diego. The event focused on raising awareness about dangers faced by youth and offering support and resources.

Chief Probation Officer Tamika Nelson emphasized the importance of collaboration: “The work that we all do together is really informed by all of us working together to determine what works in our communities, what works to help our youth, what works to save our youth and keep our community safe.” She noted that no single agency or organization can address these issues alone.

Presentations from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the District Attorney’s Office highlighted various threats. DEA community outreach specialist Shastity Urias discussed how drug cartels recruit youths for smuggling operations using deceptive tactics. “Recruiters tell the youth that it’s easy and they won’t get caught,” Urias said. However, those caught face serious consequences.

Kelly McKay, a DEA public affairs specialist, warned about the dangers of fentanyl: “Just 2 mg of fentanyl is considered a potentially lethal dose.” She advised teens against taking any pills not dispensed by legitimate pharmacies due to the lack of dosing standards in illicit drugs.

DA prosecutor Cheryl Sueing-Jones addressed internet safety concerns. She explained how predators use popular games to lure children into chat rooms for identity theft or exposure to explicit content. Sueing-Jones stressed the importance of parental guidance on these issues.

San Diego teenagers from the Community Wraparound program attended the symposium and found it impactful. One teen shared concerns about younger siblings’ online activities: “I might just warn them so they don’t friend anyone or talk to anyone that they don’t know in real life.”

Following presentations, Nelson was joined by Lisa Weinreb from the San Diego District Attorney’s Office; Judge Tilisha T. Martin; and Frank Barone from the Public Defender’s Juvenile Justice branch for a Q&A session. Judge Martin encouraged young attendees: “You can do what you put your mind to...you have to have the drive and willpower.”

For more information on resources for youth, visit Probation’s Juveniles At-Risk for Offending page.