The Clarksdale Board of Mayor and Commissioner’s decision to study ways to curtail juvenile crime is admirable.
We've had several homicides involving teenagers this summer. It's a trend that must be stopped.
But studies and talk do not keep young people from heading down the wrong path in life. It won’t help that homeowner or businessman who is the victim of juvenile crime.
Most juvenile crime is damaging. These kids are quick to break a car window or pry open a door to a garage to see what is inside.
That’s why we like the idea of holding parents responsible for the damages caused by their child. Yes, there will be bleeding hearts that say a single mother working two jobs should not be punished for the crimes of her children.
We’ve heard that excuse before from our Mayor who doesn’t want to make adults responsible for cleaning up the junk cars in their yards.
So, what can we do?
Your Clarksdale Press Register urges city leaders to consider three simple ways to get a handle on juvenile crime.
Step one could be getting police to pick kids up for truancy. A child roaming the streets of town during school hours is looking for trouble. Getting that teenager back in school is the best solution for them and for us.
Step two should be enforcing a curfew in Clarksdale. Kids out after curfew need to be picked up. Kids repeatedly out after curfew need to have their parents fined by the courts.
Step three is politely asking Judges to demand restitution of any juvenile who damages property. And Judges who won’t dispense justice should be politely shown the door and new judges appointed by our city commissioners.
These three steps won’t solve all of Clarksdale’s juvenile crime problems, but it might just turn one child from a life of crime. And it might prompt Momma and Daddy to get with the program of teaching their child to take responsibility for their actions.
And that would be a good lesson for both young and old to learn.
