An unhoused person is hallucinating and striking out. A student needs to talk about being sexually assaulted. A teen and his friends make a wrong decision and get caught. These kinds of situations can be handled without the police department—but in Hayward, it’s one of the only places where youth and students can get the free supportive services they need.
The Youth and Family Services Bureau (YFSB) is a part of the Hayward Police Department (HPD) and is a major provider of mental health and counseling support for people in Hayward. The program has existed for 50 years and, according to Dr. Emily Young who leads the program, “actually [addresses] the root cause instead of just punishing the crime.” But living within the police department comes with trade-offs.
One of the benefits may be access to grant funding. According to a 2026 presentation, YFSB received over $2,000,000 in grants with a large portion of those coming from agencies like the Alameda County Probation Department and the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department. It’s unclear if the funding would be as readily accessible if the programming did not live within HPD.
Having a good relationship with police officers may also increase referral rates. The plurality of referrals to their services (45%) come from police officers and the Alameda County Probation Department. There are some community referrals and school-based referrals, but being so integrated with the police department likely opens doors and lines of communication that may not otherwise exist.
This comes with a cost, though. Many people who might otherwise ask for help may be turned away because of the association with the police. If a family member has had a bad encounter with police or they legitimately fear police violence, it makes sense not to contact YFSB for services. The stigma associated with being housed within the police department will always keep a certain amount of people from accessing services.
Getting referrals from police and probation officers is important for diverting youth from the carceral system, but it’s possible that if the services weren’t associated with police officers, they may have been used before people got arrested in the first place. The people who need the services most may try to handle things on their own or let things get worse because the only options involve the police department.
I think it’s time for us to consider moving services for our most vulnerable neighbors—children, unhoused neighbors, people suffering from mental health crises—out of the police department and into an independent agency. Removing that stigma may increase community referrals and allow people to trust the service providers more. Taking away that fear can only make our community more safe.


