We Should Get Involved In War On Juvenile Violence

In April 1994, I was given a “Golden Pen” award for a letter I had written to The Spokesman-Review about the shooting of two teens in separate incidents. At that time, I was confused by Spokane’s “I Don’t Care” attitude. That letter described my astonishment at a town that would put higher priorities on things such as stopping proposed changes in Manito Park than on stopping the shooting in the streets.

I felt better after having written the letter, but then my wife said: “You’re not going to stop here, are you?” I knew she meant there was more I could do for kids. So I called Spokane County Juvenile Court and went through the training process to be on the Neighborhood Accountability Board.

We meet two to three times a month with juveniles who have been arrested for minor crimes for the first or second time. We listen to the young people and help determine a contract they will follow up on. The contract may involve a combination of classes, community service and counseling. We’re not a court. We are there for them to become accountable.

Several weeks ago, the front page reported, “Two teenage girls killed in hail of bullets.” This was a totally senseless act of horrid violence that should have sparked a wake-up call. There have been more shootings since then!

Our law enforcement officials and courts repeatedly have asked for the means to hold juveniles accountable for their crimes, to send a message of zero tolerance. How much senseless death does it take to move this town to give the police and the courts the support they need to hold juveniles accountable?

We cannot turn our backs and say, “They are not our kids,” because they are our kids. They are the children of our community, and our health depends on the health of all our children.

We cannot say, “It is too expensive,” lest we bear the expense of funerals and the higher price of grief. We are the victims whether our child is the perpetrator, the victim or the onlooker who sees less notable crimes going uninvestigated and sees criminals going unprosecuted or unpenalized, all for a lack of funds.

My frustration pushed me to do something. If you feel you can work with juveniles and have something to offer and can commit to the training and the time necessary, then get involved.

MEMO: “Your turn” is a feature of the Wednesday and Saturday Opinion pages. To submit a “Your turn” column for consideration, contact Rebecca Nappi at 459-5496 or Doug Floyd at 459-5466 or write “Your turn,” The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane 99210-1615.