Juvenile Delinquents – Good News for Us ?

      From the last post, you know there is a real serious problem with juveniles breaking into our homes! But there does appear to be good news on the horizon –

              ………  I’ll get to that in a second!

                                       

      You also should know that most of the times, when juveniles crawl into your homes to steal your things, there is very little punishment for the juveniles.

      Look at the record below, and see how long it took – how many victims there were, before Cedric was finally given 6 months in a facility in North Florida  [bad news –  he was just released, probably headed back into our community!]

                  Charge                            Disposition

                  Burglary                          Closed with a diversion program

                  Battery                           Closed non-judicial

                  Burglary Vehicle            Committed to Program (Level 6)

                  L&P                                 Other judicial disposition

                  False Name to LEO          Other judicial disposition

                  L&P                                 Other judicial disposition

                 Resisting w/o                  Other judicial disposition

                 Burglary Tools                 Non-file               

                 L&P                                 Other judicial disposition

                 Poss. Of Marijuana          Other judicial disposition

                 L&P                                 Non-file

                 Robbery                          Committed to program (Level 6)

                 Burglary Dwelling            Committed to program (Level 6)

                 Burglary Structure          Committed to program (Level 6)   

                 Burglary Structure          Committed to program (Level 6)

                 Poss. Of Marijuana          Given a Judicial Warning

                 Petit Theft                     Committed to program (Level 6)

                 L&P                               Non-file                  

                 Robbery                        Committed to program (Level 6)

                 Robbery                        Non-file               12-134820                 

                Burglary Dwelling         Committed to program (Level 8)

                Resisting w/o                  Committed to program (Level 8)

                        But here is the good news

            ……..   Incessant complaining may be working!

         Lots of city residents in the affected areas have been waging a battle to get relief for some years….. ( special th
anks to Sal) …..   They have called Police 1000’s of times – complained to their City Officials, City Commissioners – the Mayor, the State Attorneys, and fought the re-election of too lenient Judges  ( and kept one off the bench!)….

            …….. and today, I hear that important people are listening! –

    Assistant State Attorney Maria Schneider told me today that new rules for these juveniles are being processed and are expected to be unveiled “in days”.

      The Fort Lauderdale City Manager Lee Feldman says that a recent meeting he had with Schneider, the Mayor, and City Commissioner Trantalis seems to be producing results.

    Tougher sentencing standards for multiple offender juvenile burglars seems to be on the way   …….

                                   Stay Tuned  …. Tim

 

        

 

 

 

 

 

 

13 Replies to “Juvenile Delinquents – Good News for Us ?”

  1. “….Tougher sentencing standards for multiple offender juvenile burglars seems to be on the way…….”

    Hope you are right but what about all the victims of the breaking and entering, robberies, etc. before the threshold of Multiple Multiple Offender is triggered? The neighborhoods are under assault. Lack of ongoing and vigilant police prescence, uniforma nd under cover. How about having some policemove into the neighborhoods? Or elect a commish from the ‘hood? Bet the 5 on the dais don’t have crime on their blocks.
    The values will never appreciate, the renters will move out and the buyers will be few till their is a serious and equal response to this epidemic. In the 14 years since you held office these areas have gone down. You’ll get some lip service and PR photo ops because there is a re-election of these guys in a year. But thats all you’ll get. meanwhile nice fat cat retirement packages were approved Tuesday night.
    Consolation to MRT, SMR and all the other equally desirable neighborhoods – your police protection is the direct inverse of the $340,000,000.00 police pension bond you cheerfully handed over. No incentive to ‘police’ because they are set, crime stats on upswing or not.

  2. Tim , I admire your psitive attitude, but like let’s get real, I think the “important” people are playing you for a fool. If the Mayor or the Commissioner for your area get in the mix, in the paper, at the CC meeting talking about your problem, then I might entertain the possibility that they really care for your areas. I will watch.

  3. I agree With the previous comment about these areas having gone down since you left office. You were an inspiration to alot of crime ridden neighborhoods- you not only fought crime in District 2, but I marched with you in anti- crime walks in the neighborhoods off of Sistrunk.
    Perhaps you were successful because you live in the “hood” , and have experienced our pain in dealing with these issues,and are very passionate about our quality of lives improving.
    Kudos to you for all that you do to inform, and help our communities, long after leaving office,and without being paid for it !

  4. TIM, as always..thanks for your onstant dedication to COMMUNITY:
    I guess that I am getting more cantankerous in my “younger” older years…but I DO think Parenting is one of the most glaring problems with our society. Let me explain…My Mother became a single MOM at age 31, when my Dad committed suicide. My mother, along with my Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles… ALL, stepped up to the plate to help raise THREE boys. My Mom worked,… not one, but THREE jobs ( and went to Nursing School) to keep a roof over our heads, food on the table, and a clean-safe home. Even without a Father, we were taught..RESPECT for OTHERS and our Elders, the value of HARD WORK, and the importance of HONESTY, INTEGRITY, and EDUCATION.

    What I do not see today, (in most cases) is any responsibility for the ACTIONS of CHILDREN, or a consciousness of the consequences when you neglect your OWN OFFSPRING. Often, I hear of horror stories of women having MORE, and more children in order to be subsidized by the Federal Government.

    This past weekend, I watched the movie, “PRECIOUS”….and it really MOVED me. Therefore, I am compelled to make some comparisons that need to be considered as problems. Problems that seem to be ever-apparent in SMR and MRT (the nation) …and surrounding areas.

    Certainly, there is NO easy answer. But, now maybe there is a reason to re-visit to WHOM, WHAT, HOW and WHY we hand out Tax Dollars. Where do we begin to solve the perplexing problem of those that feel it is OK to vandalize, threaten, harm or possibly KILL in order to STEAL something from SOMEONE ELSE?

    This is really a hypothetical question and as a CONSERVATIVE registered DEMOCRAT….yes…you read that correctly. WE NEED ANSWERS, ACTION and CHANGE. It is time to re-evaluate how we operate as a SOCIETY.

  5. i agree with doug, above….
    parenting has soooo much to do with these kids gone bad. tim’s post earlier this week showed that many of the juveniles had no father in the picture….
    a block from my home is a very nice haitian family with 4 kids(2 girls, 2 boys). i’ve know these kids since they were in kindergarten. they are now young men and women and in all the years that they were growing up these kids NEVER got into ANY trouble what-so-ever….both boys have their own cars and have worked all through high school and continue to do so today. they respect my neighborhood and the people in it.
    mom works at a hotel on the beach and dad worked at another hotel on the beach. dad is disabled now but he has always been a constant in the kids lives.
    i’d have to say that having a father figure made all the difference.
    maybe they should put a damper on the amount of babies born to unwed mothers…..
    it may make a difference!!!!

  6. I am so thrilled about the above possibility of the juveniles being treated as adults. Its long overdue. I am appalled when i saw the juvenile rob my neighbor with my own eyes and when i went downtown to prosecute him all they did was slap his wrist and put him in ” a commitment program”. His rap sheet was so long it was incredible. How about our elected officials make a commitment to the tax payers for once and not the criminals. Step up and endorse this change and treat these juveniles as adults. Enough is enough.

  7. @America
    No
    i live in district 1
    the city is dying or dead neighborhood by neighborhood
    Tim Smith is trying to keep hisneighborhood on life support
    Consolation:

    Its not my neighborhood or district

  8. Right on Doug
    Your mother and family were from different stock than today
    Kudos and Congrats
    I am proud to know people like you with your values are in the city

  9. Maybe if we, the taxpayers and the elected officials, used the $40,000 a year the State spends on inmates and instead spent it on these families for schools, athletics,libraries etc we would have a better juvenile community. Imagine what a family with 2 kids would do with $80,000 a year…. maybe one parent could stay home and raise the kids like in the 1950’s!!!!

  10. I know where parents with 2 kids can get money right now! They can get a job. You have unique ‘kids’ in your area folks. Its not like this everywhere. Handouts do nothing but create more dependents. And remember, the government doesn’t have its own money, they hand out OUR money. You all complain about your taxes already. You revolt when a millage rate increase is even contemplated.

  11. The money is going to taken from taxpayers irregardless…. so why not spend the $40K on a better community with role models and activities for the youth that can help the “kids” stay away from the jails. NO one is asking for a handout.

  12. Look around. They’ll take a handout and still break into your house. Its happening. You be a role model, or victim, or whatever you want to call yourself.

Leave a Reply to Dan Dickinson Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *