On Wednesday, May 16, 2007, the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department (MPDC) held their Regional Operations Command-Central (ROC-C) Youth Advisory Council (YAC) Awards Banquet. 

The keynote speaker for the event was Howard University senior Leigh Anderson.  Ms. Anderson is a 2007 Washington Metropolitan Chapter Scholarship Award recipient, pursuing a double major in Administration of Justice, and Spanish Language studies. 

She is a native of St. Louis, MO and hails from a law enforcement family.  Her grandfather is a retired St. Louis Police Department Sergeant and two of her uncles are St. Louis PD detectives.  Ms. Anderson’s post-graduate plans are to pursue a doctorate degree and, after becoming a police officer, her ultimate goal is to be Chief of Police in St. Louis, MO. 

 Next year she will continue to work with and mentor the members of the YAC, while preparing to graduate from Howard University.

The YAC is an MPDC ROC-C sponsored program that engages DC Public School students in activities that focus on three basic objectives:

• Exposure - to people and career paths, so the students can learn about the many career choices available
• Access - to mentors, role models and internships that can provide a spring board for future career choices
• Opportunity - to gain the tools to become successful adults

In 2002, Washington Metro Chapter member, Assistant Chief Brian K. Jordan, initiated the ROC-Central YAC as a mechanism to include area youth in the community-policing, problem solving process.  Additionally, the department wanted to create partnerships with area youth that would expose them to people working in the District of Columbia whose upbringing was similar to theirs.