Juvenile Delinquents and what CAN we do??

[Rick]

Observer.  

Thank you! You probably did not mean to, but your comment actually helped me make my point.  Basically anything I did was wrong less ignore them.  You say "Just a soda bottle" every single of the many pieces of garbage I/we have to clean up on our streets and yards every week are "Just a " X.  and even if we see it being dropped we can do nothing!?  So basically there is nothing we can do BUT live with the garbage.  Keep cleaning up after everyone else kids.

How much garbage do you think kids have the right to throw into YOUR yard?? What would YOU have done?? What do you think that the right thing to do WOULD have been??

When I was young an adult was someone we respected.  If another adult saw us do something wrong (And I certainly hope you at least agree that dropping your garbage just anywhere is wrong and technically a crime) and we were corrected, we listened.  And if we didn't and it got to our parents we were in deeper.  I got the distinct impression that if these kids HAD been with their parents at the time, the parents not only might have not corrected them, they may have dropped their OWN garbage! And this is where much of the problem starts.  The adults are no better than the kids.  

But it was just a "Soda bottle" well, there was other garbage, they all basically dropped all of the wrappers and other crap they had.  The soda bottle caught my attention because it was thrown overhand in a hook shoot motion and very deliberately.

In my defense as I "Stalked them" as you describe, I was on the phone informing the police of my actions so that they could hopefully meet with us and sort out the situation.  There are fines on the books for littering and I would have really liked to have seen the parents have to cough up a check for their childrens actions.  If my actions were stalking, how many other "Stalkers" do so in conjunction with the Police?  These were not innocent kids out for a wholesome day of fun, these were pigs no less polluting my neighborhood!  They knew what they did and did not care.  They felt ENTITLED to what they did!

Interestingly one of the officers commented "It used to be a selling point to have your house near a school, but not anymore".  Obviously because kids today are accountable for nearly nothing.  And are obviously pigs as they follow the example of their parents.

I will be very interested to hear your suggestions.

[just a observation]

Sorry,

however, you sound like a crazy psycho to me. let it go. it was a freakin soda bottle. you basically stalked these kids.

just let it go

[Deborah Congonello]

I have Three daughters on the westside of Youngstown, try to involve and find development instead of scaring and put a negative on the youth of today. You are what you reap, kids learn from adults, so get involved to do a reversal for the good

[Rick]

I did not get the names. Neither did the police.  There were three of them, I followed them to a house, which I know at least ONE of them lived.  The house was on Matta.

I was just wondering after the fact if there would have been a better, more effective way of handling such a thing.  Obviously we are defensless against such things.

[jay]

Keep the name and address of the teen causing the problem.  Chances are he will continue his inappropriate behavior.

Try making the administration at Chaney High School aware of this problem.  The school and its students must respect the neighborhood in which they are located.

[Rick]

I had an incident Sunday that brought to mind some concern as to what we can and can't do about one of our biggest POTENTIAL problems, a problem I am sure is shared with most cities in the country, and that is one of Juvenile delinquency?

What occurred thankfully was a very small crime, but it exhibited many levels of what were are up against in an attempt to make the west side a place that continues to be worth living!

Little problems seem to grow quickly, and living near a high school on the west side my neighborhood is basically a dumping ground for kids trash.  And the youth seem to feel ENTITLED to put their trash wherever they see fit!

Several times in the years I have lived at my current address I have witnessed garbage thrown from cars, garbage cans intentionally knocked over in the night and kids, carelessly, intentionally throwing their garbage where they see fit, wherever they may be when they are through with whatever product they have just consumed.  

Sunday I witnessed something that truly made me see red.  The events that followed made me redder!!! But made me think, what CAN be done? How should these things be best handled? How can we put a stop to these things?

Consider the following actual events as they transpired:

I witnessed 3 youths between the ages of (my guess) 11-14 walking down my street.  One of them finished a liter of Pepsi (I am not being compensated for product placement) then promptly "Hooked shotted" the bottle from one side of the street to the other, into an innocent persons lawn.  The other two less aggressively dropped a couple candy wrappers without losing a step.

It blew my mind, this was done with no regard what so ever as there were plenty of witnesses around, although they did not care to look I stared at them as they did this. I was the only person to voice objection.  I counted to ten to calm myself down, then asked them to "Pick up the trash they just threw" as I pointed first to the thrown bottle, then to the dropped wrappers.  After first trying to deny, then refusing to, do so, I grabbed my cell phone exclaiming "I'll have the police take care of it then". This got their attention long enough to get them to pick up at least the thrown bottle, but in the mean time they gathered more gusts and I guess a better understanding of either their right to litter or my lack of rights in objecting and informed me that I "Could not make them take it home" to which they simply threw the garbage down and continued on their way.  Disgusted with me for my persistent interest in them.

So I followed them, flashers blinking on my car from the "Scene of the crime" (S. Hazelwood) to, believe this nerve, THEIR HOME!!! They actually led me to their HOME. on Matts Ave!!

Now in the course of this "Slow speed follow" I called information on my cell phone, got the "Non emergency number of the Youngstown Police dispatcher and explained my plight to her, describing my location as we proceeded across Schenley from Scheetz to Junction toward their final destination on Matts.  As I followed they heckled me that "They were not afraid of me" and that "There was nothing I could do about it".  Soon, they arrived home.  I drove passed, got the house number and proceeded to the end of the street where I called YPD explaining what had just happened, that I appreciate that this was a small thing and that if they had more pressing things going on I understood.

I was soon met by two cars, one officer in each.  I explained what had happened.  They explained that there was really nothing that they could do, but said they would drive by, for what good it would do.  I asked if I could follow, explained that I would not stop or do anything, but at least if they saw MY car and the Police cars they might AT LEAST know that the police were aware, for what that would be worth.  This was fine with them.

As we approached the house, me between the two cars, and "Adult" approached the police car leading the way, talked to the officer for MAYBE a minute then we went one our way (As I passed the adult shouted SOMETHING, at ME I am not sure what).  About a block away, the 2 police cars stopped, I stopped behind them, hopped out to talk to them.

I was told:

1) that the "Adult said she would take care of it"
2) that the "adult was concerned about ME"

Likely I would guess that the delinquents PROBABLY told a rather abbreviate version of the story,  in an effort to save time it likely INCLUDED that I had followed them and EXCLUDED anything that would indicate a cause as to why I would do so.  Just that they were likely out and about in an effort to make the world a better place, not their personal dumping ground.

So, with all of that said.  I know that the police have "Bigger fish to fry" and after the fact I felt very silly for having called them in the first place.  BUT what can we do? should I have just IGNORED the littering? All I could think of is the time I spend every Thursday night picking up after them as part of the ritual of taking out MY trash for pick-up.

How can we, as West side citizens best handle these sort of situations??  I am sure there were several things I did or did not do that in hind sight I or someone else can point out as a suggested better way to handle such a case.  For one I would have liked to talk to the "Adult" but doubted and still do that it would have constructively contributed to a solution.  To many parents default to the defense of their kids, as they have a different "Character" when they are being observed at home than when out of sight.  Learned that first hand with a father who insisted that his delinquent did NOT vandalize my yard, and that I could put the video tape clearly showing him doing it up my ___. He did not want to see it,  did not care, it sis not happen, so I did not want to go through THAT again.

Any advice?? These kids obviously have no regaurd or respect for athority or anyone elses property.  They know noone is going to hold them accountable, and if someone tries to, there is nothing that can or will be done about it.  When all was said and done, I almost felt as if I had done something wrong!!!