The D.C. Council is on the verge of passing a tough anti-crime bill amid a rise in violent crime, including ones involving young people.
Mayor Muriel Bowser supports the legislation, which aims to toughen laws and increase penalties. But beyond the anti-crime measure called Secure DC, other ideas are being advanced to prevent kids from getting involved in crime in the first place.
“I’m looking at the data. And I’m talking to young people about how we prevent them from going down the path of crime to begin with,” said At-large D.C. Council member Robert White. “What they’re saying to me is they need to make money. They want careers out of high school. They don’t have enough guidance and support.”
To help steer kids straight, White is proposing a three-pronged approach to youth opportunity reform, beginning with a major expansion of vocational education in the District.
“We’re talking about making sure every student who is in our public and charter schools has access to vocational education, if that’s the direction they want to go,” White said.
The proposal extends to people who are out of high school or who dropped out of school.
“What’s important here is that it’s not just anything that calls itself vocational education. This is specifically for jobs and careers that don’t require a bachelor’s degree and (to) have industry certifications. So that we are not just putting young people through programs, but putting them through programs where they are within reach of high-paying careers,” said White.
Acknowledging that some kids don’t have adults in their lives to support and guide them during tough times, the second leg of his legislative package, which he calls “Safer Today, Safer Tomorrow,” would enlist D.C. government employees in a mentorship program.
“We have 35,000 highly trained professionals across D.C. government, and we have an immediate need for mentors for young people. So, this is where I think we need to start,” White said.
The proposal would allow D.C. government professionals to take an hour’s leave per week specifically for mentoring youth in the District. It would also create a professional mentoring group, whose efforts would be applied to children who have more serious issues, including adverse childhood experiences, such as abuse and neglect.
The third leg of the youth crime prevention plan is a focus on truancy.
“That is one of the biggest indicators that a young person is going down the wrong path,” White said.
His truancy bill aims to provide District officials an early warning system on truant students by having the school system issue monthly reports on truancy, instead of annually. The goal is to get resources to the truant student early, before it’s too late.
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