Show lets let's Keep Youth Problems In Focus By MATT MATI GALT MAYOR OF BOUNTIFUL Parents and people of the city of Bountiful are concerned over statements dealing with our crime rate and juvenile problems It is indeed unfortunate unfortunate that statements that are unfounded and without facts are being repeated WE ARE RE now the fifth largest largest largest larg larg- est city in the state of Utah and growing very fast We admit to some problems concerning crime but certainly take i sue with anyone making statements saying our crime rate is one of the highest By referring to the accompanying accompanying accompanying nying tables we can see that in Davis County we have only 62 29 delinquent plus 33 traffic of our young people out of every every every ev ev- ery thousand school population that come in contact with the Juvenile Court I IN SALT Lake County there are 82 37 delinquent plus 45 traffic per thousand Weber County has 50 delinquent plus 62 traffic per thousand Utah County has 90 42 42 deS delinquent delinquent de de- S plus 48 traffic per perI I I thousand Carbon County with 60 delinquent plus 4 41 t traffic fic per thousand Sevier County Coun Coun- ty has 98 93 29 delinquent plus 69 traffic per thousand YOU CAN SEE that the rumors rumors rumors ru ru- ru mors that we have have- one one of the highest rates for juvenile problems lems are just not true It is unfair unfair un un- fair to say that we do I Many of our young people are being hurt by this accusation Many of our new homes are ure not being sold because be of this I nasty accusation People do not want to buy a home in the area when they hear of this supposed problem YOU CAN SEE from these statistics that Bountiful and Davis County DO NOT have a high rate of juvenile problems but to the contrary they are low compared to many other places in the state Juvenile Court officers are working with the Bountiful city council and our police department department department depart depart- ment on juvenile problems They recognize as we do that thai we do have some problems but that Bountiful is not a serious problem area We will continue to o work with them We hope to reduce these figures even more AN APPROVED juvenile overnight overnight overnight ov ov- detention t e r s should be ready within about 1 00 days This facility will wili be he located in the basement of or our city hall The juvenile courts have what they call a master index Every person brought before the court is recorded on this master index WE KNOW that in Davis County 75 per cent of these young people come before tl the Hp a acourt court only o one and time Ume They do not repeat IT SHOWS that our young people may make a mistake but they soon learn and are not repeaters Juvenile problems consist of such things as traffic problems throwing snowballs jaywalkers jaywalk jaywalk- i ers stuffing from school stealing stealing stealing steal steal- ing ing burglary vandalism car theft and many other offenses AFTER studying the more serious offenses s such ch as burglary burglary burglary burg burg- lary car theft fighting serious vandalism drunkenness etc we can say that 90 per cent of these more serious problems are attributed to not more than 30 of of- our young people in the Bountiful area We did not have a single case of a juvenile in connection with narcotics assault with weapon wealOn armed robbery strong armed robbery arson or glue sniffing WE HAD many reported vandalism vandalism vandalism van van- cases last year Some of these were very minor and of or the we are some were type J SI J ashamed of It is one of our more serious problems and more needs to be bedone bedone bedone done in this area I will recommend recommend recommend mend securing the services of another detective in our next budget ANOTHER of our more serious serious serious ser ser- ious problems has to do with the number of young people who run away from home There are other unfortunate rumors going around telling of the number of girls in trouble in our schools due to pregnancy cy THESE FIGURES have been over stated beyond all truth and reason This is a falsehood and has been exaggerated e d many many times beyond the true figures We are arc not suggesting that we close our pur eyes to the problem problem problem lem of crime In Bountiful we weSee weSee weSee See Youth Problems Page 2 Youth Problems Continued from Front Page have at least two police potice C cars around the clock There arc certain times during the day when we have more With our police reserve there are times when we have several police on dut duty WE NOW have our own dispatch dispatch dispatch dis dis- dis- dis patch system for both our police police police po po- po- po lice and fire departments Our police force has been increased and we feel it is doing a good goad job folk We also have a good recreation recreation recreation tion program There are plans underway to increase our recreational recreational recreational rec rec- rec- rec facilities swimming pool will be completed completed completed com com- In April More parks are areto areto areto to be developed next summer Now weve we've mentioned what we arc are doing We re arc are working with the juvenile courts we weare weare weare are working with the police force more closely we are trying a better recreation program program programs pro pro- gram grams all aU to help cut down on these problems BUT Bur REMEMBER it can happen to anyone Anybody's child can get in trouble So we weare weare were are re suggesting some things that parents can do Do more than hear Listen D DO no MORE than listen Understand Understand Un Un- If you hear of oC some of these rumors that There is nothing wrong with It II or all the kids are doing it dont don't believe be be- lieve it ALL THE KIDS are NOT doing do do- doing ing it There are just hundreds and hundreds of oC good kids who are not doing the things that they're supposedly all aU the teen teen-agers are doing SO DONT DON'T believe these young kids that get in trouble and try to excuse themselves by saying All flAU the kids are doing it II They are not all aU doing do do- ing it And do more than look Observe We try to teach mod mod- esty in the dress of the young youn g people You can see sec some o of gt them Ulem that are certainly no not t very modest But look at the majority of them and you will wil see sec that they dress very modestly modestly mod mod- modestly estly and there are some fine young people DO MORE than read BE scholarly not gullible Now asI as asI asI I mentioned weve we've had hild reports that indicate the high crime rate the high juvenile lem But look around and get the facts Dont Don't take a general state state- ment Many of oC these statements statements statements state state- ments come out without any facts at all to back them up So be scholarly dont don't be gullible gullible gulli gulli- ble and believe everything you hear dear DO MORE than think Ponder Ponder Pon Pon- Ponder der Dont Don't always believe everything everything ev ev- you hear If one person person person per per- son gets in trouble before long the story is ten or 12 are in trouble And do more than talk tail Say bay something good about our community community com corn and our young people DO MORE than love Serve Offer help to those who have sinned Many do straighten straight straight- en up and become good citi cit zens But lets let's know the facts Dont Don't give our young people an in excuse to do things because it t is so common when it really is s not so common I want to make the statement that we are proud of the city of oC Bountiful We are proud of our police force and of our police po po- poke lice ke reserve and our schools and feel Ceel that we have the most i choice place to raise a fa family mily in n the entire state I |