Good kids gone bad - Part 2

BY WENDY ELLIOTT

Kings County Register

Locked up youth at the Waterville jail got caught.

The cause of their crimes: boredom, settling beefs or frustrations, drugs and other addictions.

The incarcerated youth took part in a Safer Streets and Communities Task Force forum last spring, and their words echo the comments of youth free in our community.

Youth report a lack of things to do. Most wanted more sports and anticipated their drivers’ licenses.

Things they saw as helping to prevent crime included, obviously, being held in detention; YM/YWCA programs, Boys and Girls Clubs, sports to watch and take part in, family and having a sense of belonging: community, to these youth, means having a place to live and someone who cares.

People youth respect would do the best job sharing messages against crime. Family members are at the top of that list; people who have been in trouble and are now doing better are also on the list.

“Be there for your kids and they will grow up straight,” commented one.

Some know they come from inadequate homes. They are looking for people who care and will help, and they want respectful treatment from authority figures.

Youth in care want to remain in the province because their aim is to go back home. Some believe agencies, like community services and family and children’s services, are impersonal.

“They don’t give a shit about me.”

Time in Waterville has made most of these youth decide not to reoffend. Three thought they would be in adult jail within the next five years. Two, though, felt being in Waterville is better than community life.

“It’s better to be here than on curfew and getting into trouble.”

Youth want more teachers in classrooms, smaller classes and fewer distractions. Too many kids in school rooms promotes conflicts - outside and inside school. Troubled youth all understand, though, going to school is important. Suspensions, youth point out, prevent school attendance and give them more time to get into fights and drugs. In-school suspensions would not make a difference: most would just skip.

“Nothing would keep us there.”

Youth in trouble want high school credits and more options in their lives. Apprenticeship programs help youth see school can lead to work.

Concerning drug use, youth said they were curious, tried drugs and liked the result. Some said, since there were no jobs, they sold drugs. Several thought, while in Waterville, they would be drug-free, but were worried, once out, they’d be back on drugs.

While the negative effects keeps some kids away from drugs, they would like to have marijuana legalized.

“It doesn’t lead people to harder drugs.”

If they require drug or alcohol education or treatment, they want programs that work for youth.

“You need to want to quit using drugs or change. Kids won’t change if they don’t want to - no matter what the consequences.”

Most poignantly, the youth incarcerated in Waterville would hope - something to move them forward in baby steps and reduce their feelings of being overwhelmed. Some youth feel better being angry, and can express it when drunk.

“Can you help kids not to be angry at the world?” one asked.



Youth crime’s mythical high profile



Concern about youth crime sparks headlines, yet the percentage of Canadians who think crime is an extremely serious problem has actually dropped.

Fewer Canadians see violence and juvenile offences as severe problems than in the mid-1970s.

Sociologist and author Reginald Bibby of the University of Lethbridge has been monitoring social trends in Canada every five years since 1975. His surveys show, in 1975, 57 per cent of Canadians felt crime was a "very serious" problem. Today, that’s dropped to just 33 per cent. Juvenile crime was viewed as a "very serious" problem by 42 per cent back then; it’s 26 per cent now.

A recent Wolfville survey indicated 35 per cent of residents believe crime is on the rise; 62 per cent worry about their children and property crimes.

Youth are blamed for a wide variety of mischief and vandalism: Oakgrove Cemetery was targeted recently, and parents in New Minas are trying to figure out why young people would burn volunteer-built recreation facilities.

A recent Statistics Canada report showing Canada's national crime rate hit its lowest point in over 25 years in 2006, driven by a decline in non-violent crime, says the agency.

Statistics Canada says concern about the seriousness of crime is inversely related to community size: it tends to increase as the size of communities decrease.

Bibby is quick to say such findings in no way negate or minimize the reality of ongoing criminal offences. The findings do suggest growing numbers of people since the 1960s have felt the quality of interpersonal life in Canada has been getting better - not worse. As he argues in his most recent book, The Boomer Factor, the idea we are becoming a less civil society is largely a myth.

Not reported, not counted

Only 33 per cent of crimes ever come to the attention of police. According to 2005 stats from the provincial justice department, the reported crime rate in the Annapolis Valley is lower than the provincial average.

Valley residents represent 14 per cent of the Nova Scotia population. The number of property crimes here, such as smashed mailboxes, total nine per cent of the provincial average. That is thought to be high, but the rate is declining; the number of youth charged here for Crime Code offenses, 50 out of 1,000, is higher than the provincial average.

Sixteen citizens attended the Kentville forum of the Safer Streets and Communities Task Force in March 2006. They agreed the most appropriate roles for the provincial government are crime prevention and resources for police. People are worried about drugs, alcohol and gambling. Poverty, parenting and addictions were identified as root causes of crime. There were also observations about double standards and inconsistent policies surrounding drugs and alcohol. Those present noted the importance of community involvement in helping to prevent crime.

Crime costs

According to GPI Atlantic, the cost of crime is about $600 per year per Nova Scotian - if you include things like unreported shoplifting, higher insurance costs and fraud. The fact almost 40 per cent of Nova Scotians are functionally illiterate may factor in as well.

Justice Minister Murray Scott was encouraged this summer to see the province's overall crime rate had dropped for the second year in a row, and said government is working to reduce it further.

"While this is good news, our crime rate is still slightly higher than the national average, and we know we have more work to do."

The Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics report shows Nova Scotia's homicide rate has dropped by 20 per cent; violent crime is down two per cent. Property crime is down two per cent, including a six per cent drop in both break and enters and motor vehicle theft.

The province has added 80 new police officers this year as part of a four-year commitment to add 250 new officers across the province.

Although drug crime rates remained stable, charges relating to specific drugs were up, including a 48 per cent increase in cocaine related charges. The Department of Justice is developing a drug strategy in consultation with partner departments.

Youth crime a concern

The report shows youth crime continues to be an area of concern, with a 17 per cent increase in overall youth crime, including a five per cent increase in youth violent crime.

As the largest volume of youth crimes occurs in the Halifax Regional Municipality, a portion of the increase may be the result of stepped-up efforts by police to charge youth who violate bail conditions.

"Although the vast majority of our young people are not in conflict with the law, these statistics bear out the concerns we heard from the community during consultations by the minister's task force," said Scott. "It's clear that we need to continue our efforts to address both the root causes of crime and to ensure that strong enforcement measures are in place when they are needed."

The province recently released an update on implementation of the recommendations made by the Nunn Commission, including the introduction of a youth attendance centre and bail supervision programs. A youth strategy is now under development. The province continues to lobby the federal government to make improvements to the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

The Department of Justice is also working on a community-based crime prevention and reduction strategy.