Law enforcement hears concerns about crime at young age - American Press

Young people are being pressured into criminal activity despite what parents are doing to stop them, residents told law enforcement officers at a community meeting Tuesday.

One woman said her son had been kicked out of school for behavior issues and that her other son had been shot in what she suspected was a crime-related incident even though she had worked hard to create a loving environment at home.

Peer pressure at school can be more powerful than even the most devoted parent’s love, she said, and she cautioned against making snap judgments.

Others complained that the legal system had thwarted their attempts to discipline their children. One resident asked officers what the law said about corporal punishment.

Lt. James Steward with the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office said parents are allowed to whip their children, just not with a strap or to the extent that it leaves a bruise. “This myth that you can’t whip your kid is not true,” Steward said.

Lt. Craig Wright with the Lake Charles Police Department said he sympathized with parents who were afraid to discipline their children because teachers or neighbors might report them for child abuse. But when someone is turned in for possible abuse, he said, officers are required to fill out a report that would go in their records even if charges are dismissed.

Steward said that although the state allows for corporal punishment in schools, the Calcasieu Parish School Board opts against it. He encouraged parents to talk with their legislators and School Board members about their policies on discipline.

One parent complained that teachers were hesitant to punish students for fear of backlash from parents and their employers, creating an unruly learning environment.

“If we don’t start giving them some unity and structure in our community, we’re not going to have a community,” one woman said.

Another resident noted that sometimes discipline isn’t necessary. A police officer or teacher taking the time to speak with a troubled student can make all the difference, she said. “That’s all they need sometimes is to have someone talk to them and get in their head,” she said.

Young men need to know that it isn’t cool to commit crimes, she said, and young women need to know it isn’t cute to get pregnant before they’re ready for a child.

Others focused on what the community could do to provide fun activities for young people. One man, a local coach, urged parents to get their children involved in sports. “If you keep your kids busy in sports, they’ll stay off the streets,” he said.

Wright said that in his visits to local schools, he has seen children who were once eager to high-five a police officer become distant middle schoolers and hostile teens. “We’re losing our kids in the middle school age,” Wright said.

He urged parents to pay attention to what their children are seeing online and to monitor the people they hang around to minimize negative influences.

He also suggested parents get their children involved in recreational activities, like camps in the Ward 3 Recreation District or the city’s parks department. The Police Department and Sheriff’s Office host dozens of programs to help local youths, he said, as well as regular community watch meetings.

Wright encouraged people to connect with law enforcement agencies on social media or look out for event fliers they post in the community. People can also sign up for text alerts on Nixle.com.

Representatives from local advocacy groups like Well Connected Riders, New Steps and Christ for the Crisis were also there to connect with residents.

“Parents need support systems, huge support systems, and whoever has the money needs to partner with them,” said Alexa Guzman with Christ for the Crisis.

She urged people not to let communication barriers, monetary strains or geographical differences divide them, but to find a way to support one another in their mutual effort to protect young people.

The meeting was organized by Courtnee Brown, a member of Mayor Nic Hunter’s Community Advisement and Assessment Board. Brown has been tasked with finding ways to help the city’s youth. About 50 people attended Tuesday’s event.

Hunter and his advisory board are hosting a series of meetings in each of the city’s districts to hear from residents. The first was July 13 in District A. The second, for District B, will be at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 27, in the auditorium at Lake Charles-Boston Academy of Learning, 1509 Enterprise Blvd.

The board members are Junaid Abbasi, Robert Arango, the Rev. Joseph Banks, Courtnee Brown, Sean Corcoran, Randy Fuerst, the Rev. Steve James, Catherine Riggins and Sylvia Stelly.

For more information on the board, call 491-1382.

Let's block ads! (Why?)