Our Mission:
The Teen And Police Service (TAPS) Academy founded in 2011 by the Houston Police Department became an independent 501c(3) organization in 2015. Its mission is to reduce the social distance between the most underserved youth and the police, teach crime prevention skills, build community through service learning and promote and enhance school safety while leading youth to living wage pathways in life through college and workforce preparedness. Annually, TAPS Academy serves over 5,000 youth in the United States and the Caribbean through it various programs to include TEEN POL which is approved by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to award one high school credit. Evaluation of TAPS Academy program shows positive increases in social bonding, crime reduction and community safety.
TAPS Academy 2024 Impact Report
In 2024, we’ve seen incredible growth and progress as we continue to bridge the gap between youth and law enforcement. From skill-building to open dialogue TAPS Academy has made a lasting impact on both students and officers. Explore our report to see how your support is shaping the future and helping us create positive change in the community. Click here to view our TAPS Academy 2024 Impact Report.
What We Do
Our Goals
- Reduce the social distance between youth and police
- Teach crime prevention skills
- Build community through service-learning
- Promote and Enhance school safety
Since 2011, The Teen And Police Service Academy has been dedicated to reducing the social distance between our youth and police. Here's a snapshot of our ongoing efforts:
20288
Youth Served
7207
Officers Served
12822
Service Learning Hours
100
Current TAPS Academy Officers
*Data last updated March 2025.
TAPS Academy provides training for law enforcement officers and youth throughout the United States. Here are the cities across the nation that we are currently in:
Greater Houston Area
Columbus, Ohio
Upper Darby, Pennsylvania
Las Vegas, Nevada
Lynchburg, Virginia
Grambling, Louisiana
Washington, DC
St. Kitts and Nevis
"Youths who participated in the TAPS Academy showed significant improvement in measures of social distance, with certain subgroups (such as Hispanic/Latino and male youths) reporting more favorable perceptions of police.”
- Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
The Teen And Police Service Academy is funded by the U.S. Department of Justice.
