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Youth Protest City-Backed Programs

CHICAGO (CBS)--New programs rolled out by the city of Chicago Thursday aim to help the city's thousands of young people who don't go to school or work.

Funding for the "Choose to Change" program and "Neighborhood Reconnection Hubs" will offer a unique new approach to serving Chicago's most at risk youth, the city says.

"Choose to Change" is a mentoring and counseling program for CPS students. Neighborhood Reconnection Hubs is a program to help Roseland neighborhood residents under age 24 find a job.

But not everyone is happy with Mayor Rahm Emanuel's announcement today to fund those programs and the $95 million police and fire academy proposed for Garfield Park, which was a point of contention for some young people who noisily protested at City Hall and aboard El trains Thursday.

"If police need better training because of the things that have happened, of course I understand that," said Alycia Moaton. "But the idea to invest $95 million seems to be kind of over-the-top."

Emanuel insists the police and fire academy is an essential part of police reform.

"We're going to keep doing what we need to do for that type of reform," Emanuel said.

CBS 2's Derrick Blakley reported Thursday that many of the young people that would be served by the programs see them and the police and fire academy proposal as wasted money—with little grassroots input.

"Either he's going to pick the people of Chicago or he's going to pick his $95 million cop academy," said Taylore Norwood.

One featured panel member brought up an issue mayor can't avoid.

"Invest in our communities as a whole and not just police academies," said Year Up Chicago graduate Symone Latham-Dior.

The City Council will vote Friday whether to fund the police academy.

 

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