YOUNG CRIMINAL MINDS: PHILLY’S LATEST ‘REALITY SHOW’
It’s that time of the summer in Philadelphia again.
The time of the “flash mobs”.
In July, a mob attacked people at random downtown and a man ended in the hospital with a wired jaw, broken teeth and cracked ribs; at least 4 other residents were also assaulted, including a woman with a broken arm by teenagers, ranging from 11-years-of age to 22 years of age.
The problem is the city’s so-called solution to this national problem.
Instead of a sensible, common-sense, effective solution, I think the recent, much publicized “curfew crackdown” shouted out by Mayor Nutter is nothing more than a weak, ineffective, wrong-headed bandaid response that not only punishes the innocent youth but continues to criminalize our children.
The curfew laws in Philly once mandated that anyone under 18 had to be indoors by midnight, and if under 13 to be off the streets by 10pm. Mayor Nutter recently announced a curfew of 9pm for under 18 on Fridays and Saturdays. A first arrest means a fine of $100 to $300. Parents then face fines up to $500 for each following violations by their children.
Note that this only applies to downtown, center city and in University City. The rest of the city, our neighborhoods have the previous curfew laws in effect!!!???
A big problem is that there is or has been any evidence that curfews work. The facts show conclusively that most juvenile crime occurs between 3pm and 7pm. In the case of the 2 flash mob attacks in Philly, they did occur before 8pm. Remember the Sears store attack in July? That happened in broad daylight as well. So just how effective is this new curfew crackdown anyhow?
I believe it is helping to criminalize our children. It is sending the message that it is illegal to be outside, illegal to be young, illegal to travel the streets peacefully.
Most young people are not part of a flash mob or involved in criminal activity. They are just young folks doing what all teenagers do, especially in the summer months. Just as we did back in our young summer days.
Marc Lamont Hill, in a recent Phila Daily News piece, pointed out, “The first problem with curfews is that they strip away our rights. As citizens, youth are permitted to exercise their 1st Amendment right to free speech and peaceful assembly. As courts have argued, by imposing broad and constitutionally vague curfew restrictions, we limit their ability to engage in lawful behaviors like walking, driving or going to the store.”
The city seems to be developing a new reality show, Young Criminal Minds (apologies to my favorite tv show Criminal Minds), where the goal of the show is to how best alienate the youth, instill a juvenile criminal mentality, produce criminal behavior and then the stars of the show, public officials can ride in, make arrests and talk tough. With enough arrests, the show can be renewed for another year and these politicos can collect residuals in syndication.
I know I’m just being cute here but I’m serious.
The city tackled the problem of juvenile crime a few years ago under the John Street administration more effectively when in early 2007, more than a dozen curfew centers were established across the city. These centers linked the curfew enforcement with strong community support, social services, educational support directly linked to the Phila School system, community centers, and emphasized parental involvement all throughout the process.
There was tremendous improvement in many areas of the city. Juvenile crime experienced a 83% drop in one district, and a 60% drop in another district in South Philadelphia, where juvenile crime and truancy had skyrocketed in 2007.
Unfortunately, Nutter immediately began to shut down these curfew centers in 2008, citing “no indication of substantial decrease in juvenile arrest or victimization.”
This statement was severely condemned by those who operated the centers, families served, young people, the police and the available data. But the new mayor didn’t listen then. It seems all he has now is a lot of tough talk and his new reality show.
Philadelphia should follow the lead of Baltimore and Kansas City that have created new community-based curfew centers to combat their own flash mob incidents and to provide a real effective solution to juvenile crime.
If these anti-youth policies continue in this city without enough resources provided for our youth, we will only alienate our children, maybe making them better juvenile criminals.
The tv show Criminal Minds is fiction. Young Criminal Minds needs to cancelled immediately before it becomes a reality.
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