Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan • Page 14

Sunday, June 7, 1998 The Detroit News 15A The Mood Of Michigan Crime Concerns: A Detroit News Panel Discussion The panel I lore's a look at the panelists and a sampling of their views. 1998 campaign calendar Important election-year dates: July 6: Last date to register Youth crime many eenng vwneraDie. unsafe Parents and communities need to invest more time and money to problem. 'Things aren't like when I grew say those who recall less violent time. Jessica P.

Cooper Lives in Pontiac and is an Oakland County Circuit judge. She was robbed once before she became a judge. "Citizens have to he involved to testify, to look out for neighbors. The government process can not work without cooperation." S'W tiff 1 1-- 7 David C. Coales The Detroit News Geena Hardaway of Oak Park, shown here on the playground of Einstein Elementary, says more money should be spent on youth recreation to keep kids out of trouble.

leaves 'V. We lost a lot of our Little League players boys 11, and 13 years" old because they were dropping out and joining gangs. I don't know what if anything they are doing about it. They draw their little signs everywhere in Taylor. EC Daniels: We have to start kids off very young about the difference in right and wrong.

Learn the word If the parents won't teach them, then the schools should. I cannot believe it takes a community to raise a child. I think the parents have the primary responsibility but once they have neglected that, I think the schools should. We need to build more jails and prisons where needed. Stick to (prison) sentences.

We have to reorganize prisons into a rehabilitation center rather than just a warehouse. And before they are let out they should know how to read and write. If you can't rehabilitate some of these people then keep them in there for life. Cooper: Our problem is as complex as our society. One of the most effective tools in rehabilitation is the boot camp.

The Michigan Department of Corrections has it and so does the Oakland County Sheriff's Department. Edward Rittenour: You see now the people in charge are really the baby boomers and most of the people you're having trouble with are the kids of the boomers. And most of these people think the government should take care of the problem and the way to solve the problem is to throw money at it. That's really not the answer. The attention has to be at the family.

Greif: These kids that are running around committing a lot of these crimes don't have any respect for themselves, for the people they live with or for their peers. Sometimes this is caused by peer pressure. 1 think we can't stop what's been done, that we have to start now and the important issue is to start with education, whether from the home, schools, wherever. Sieja: It's about time to take personal responsibility about our communities. We vote in our officials our judges often people with moral backgrounds that aren't Pauline Reese 55, of Detroit is a financial secretary at Greater Southern Baptist Church.

She has three children and three grandchildren. Keese's car has been stolen. "IVe need more police officers." April 271 Voters are steamed up about taxes again. More than half think state taxes are too high. Today: The crime rate is down, but citizens worry that increasing numbers of young people are going bad, due to inattentive parents.

T3 Jit 'I for August primary. July 6: Petitions to place proposed constitutional amendments on the November general election ballot must be filed with the Secretary of State (308,908 valid signa- tures required). Aug. 1: Deadline for absentee ballot requests for the August pi in itjiy. Aug.

4: State primary for governor, Congress, state House and Senate. Aug. 11: Petitions to place local questions on the November general election ballot must be filed with county and local clerks. Sept 4: Constitutional amendments and legislative referen-dums that the Legislature wants on the November general election ballot must be presented to the Secretary of State. November general election.

94. it: I-- .1 uiit Jii ut-'duin ie iui nubeii" tee ba'lot requests for the November general election. Nov. 3: State general election for governorlieutenant gover- 1 iwi auui 1 nzy ici ai, ciaf of state. Conaress.

Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, state House, state Senate and state education boards. Are you registered? You may register at a number of state and local government offices, including all Secretary of State branch offices. For more information, call your county, city or township clerk, or contact the Michigan Department of State Bureau of Elections P.O Box 20126 Lansing Ml, 48901 The phone number is (517)373-2540; fax (517) 373-0941. Getting involved Here's how to get more infor- this year's elections: Republican Party of Michigan v. E-mail: Macomb County Republican Party Chair Phone: Janice Nearon (810)754-5999 Oakland County Republican Party Chair Phone: Cathy Longo (248)540-7262 Wayne County Republican Party Chair pnone: I naddeus McCotter (313) 542-9756 Democratic Party of Michigan Phone: (517)371-5410 Fax: (510 371-2056 E-mail: Macomb County Democratic Committee Phone: (810) 783-7767 Fax: (810) 307-3537 Oakland County Democratic Committee Wayne County Democratic Party Chair Phone: R.Karl Burnett (248)476-4969 Libertarian Party of Michigan Phone number: (800) 343-1364 Fax number: (810) 778-6582 League of Women Voters of Michigan Phone number: (517) 484-5383 Fax number: (517) 484-3086 E-mail: On the Web Want to e-mail your state representative? Or simply want to learn who your representative is? mmmm The Detroit dctAvVa News Online can provide a gateway to information about elected officials, government agencies, politicians and political groups in Michigan.

Also on-line: The three-day "Mood of Michigan" series, which set up voters' concerns March 22-24, and future campaign and issue updates. Point your Web browser to http:detnews.com 1998metrox 2campaign98 Also available at detnews.com is a comprehensive analysis of crime in 110 Metro Detroit communities. G. Jean Robinson 54, lives in Detroit and has one child. She's a community activist.

She's been robbed twice on the street, twice burglarized and had her car stolen. "We need more police presence walking a beat as well as scout cars more recreation facilitiesprograms for youth and real rehabilitation for prisoners who will be released back into society." Michael Raby 33, is a Southfield police officer and father of three. His wife's car was stolen and never recovered. "Onviously, if you have a child who has a good stable environment and his parents arc very active then they are going to have a lot better chance." JoanGreif 51, of Warren is a tax consultant and the mother of two sons, ages 19 and 22. She's a Neighborhood Watch block captain.

"These kids running around committing a lot of these crimes don't have any respect for themselves, for the people the live with, or for their peers." Edward Ritenour 64, is a private investigator and retired police chief. He's been robbed and had his house burglarized and car stolen. "We need to speed up the legal process and put more emphasis on prosecution and sentencing." Robert Brickmeyer 68, lives in Troy and is a retired CM employee. He has four children and nine grandchildren. His mother was mugged and nearly raped; a burglar broke into his home.

"U'e have to tighten laws meant to protect the innocent but used to protect criminals. We have to build more prisons." w. The Detroit News invited 13 Metro Detroiters, a police officer and a judge of the Oakland County Circuit Court to discuss crime. Here is an edited transcript of that discussion. Oj Do you feel safe? Joan Greif: I feel very unsafe.

Just recently there was an incident in Warren when a gentleman stepped out of a car and pulled out a gun on four young teen-agers because they stopped and yelled at him and cut them off. When you have something like this happening in your local neighborhood, it's scary. Some people carry too much rage around with them. Oj Is there something going on with young people today? Jerry Sieja: Youth crime is up. It's their attitudes.

I work with kids and they have no fear. They want what they want, when they want it. And they'll do whatever they have to do to get it. Jean Robinson: I feel there is a lack of parental involvement with their kids. It's not like when I grew up.

Mother was at home and father worked. You had total parental control all day long. Now a lot of kids are left alone. A lot of them are angry. They are not getting either the guidance or the nurturing they need.

Julie Carson: I'm in a really sheltered environment. Kids are the products of their parents and their environment and they are going to act like they are taught to act. Oj Should we focus on youth crime? Judge Jessica Cooper: In terms of violent crime, you don't see a lot of it once someone passes 35 years old. You do see it but they are the exceptions. Most of the crimes of violence are committed by those of a younger age.

George Gaines: I think that statistics will show that many of the crimes that we are concerned about here are age-relat ed and if you went to look at them you would see the preponderance of crime is committed by those under 30. It is age related. And as the youth population goes down, so does the crime. Oj So what do you do? Jim Rarey: First you start with the parents. They're the first ones that have to instill a moral code.

It used to be that the schools used to reinforce it but too often now they do not reinforce it because they are afraid to discuss right or wrong because of religious connotation. So now, nothing is right or wrong depending on circumstance. Oj Should people be more involved in reducing crime? Sieja: A lot of (people) count on police officers. In New York, they work as a team police and citizens. Community policing is helping.

Police officer Michael Raby: (Community policing) does reduce crime. You go and talk to Susan Sparrow Carson 45, lives in Birmingham and is a homemaker and mother of two teen-agers. "(We need to emphasize) social causes education, employment opportunities, strong families and neighborhoods." March 23: An overwhelming majority of voters believe families are falling apart. They blame more working moms, easy divorce and a decline in church attendance. George Gaines 68.

lives in Detroit and is a public health professional at Wayne State University. Because he's been victimized by crime seven times, he declined to be photographed. "We need more mental health care, especially long-term, more rehabilitation in prisons and return general assistance for single people who meet income tests." Geena Hardaway 36, lives in Oak Park and is a community organizer. She's had her wallet taken. "We need to reallocate dollars to increase recreation for youth, (crime) prevention activities and more law enforcement." Jim Rarey 67, is a retired Burroughs accountant and lives in Taylor.

He has three children and eight grandchildren and is a community activist. "We need to tighten up parole procedures, support local police with more money and equipment." Susan Cislo 33, lives in Taylor and owns a small business. She is a civic activist and mother of three children. She was assaulted in her business. "We need truth in sentencing.

We need capital punishment." E.C. Daniels 54, is retired, lives in Detroit and is a Vietnam veteran. you can't rehabilitate some of these (prisoners) then keep them in therefor life." of Michigan series: Ahead: In coming weeks and months, our reporters will focus on other top issues, including roads and schools, and the candidates' records and proposals on each. -if I people who live in a community all the time and they tell you what is going on. They know if a car belongs in a neighborhood or not.

You get invaluable information, just from casual conversations. Oj What about capital punishment? Susan Cislo: There goes the (prison) overcrowding problem. Rarey: It sure cuts down on the recidivism rate. Robert Brickmeyer: A lot of prisoners have raped and killed guards and inmates. If they had been put to death, that would have ended that.

Susan Carson: I have my mind made up but I look at capital punishment as the last resort for the most heinous, awful, horrible thing. I feel our justice system is not predicated on that. Each person is not allowed to go out and extract their own revenge. Gaines: I quote Judge George Crockett, Sr. who said 'the quality of justice in the United States is in direct proportion to what you can pay for your Who gets executed? People who cannot afford a good, credible defense.

Until we have an equal situation where everybody has a opportunity for a good defense, I would be opposed to capital punishment on a class basis. It is poor people who die in the chair and by lethal injection. Oj What should we do to reduce crime? Brickmeyer: I'd give everything in my pocket to build more prisons. I want more prisons. Tax me for them.

Lock 'em up and this will reduce crime. Rarey: In the long run, the major problem is both moral and spiritual. Until as a society we get back to a firm idea of what is right and wrong and teach it everywhere not just in the schools and not necessarily connected with religions. It could come from religion: such as 'Thou shalt not That and the swiftness and sureness of punishment could go a long way towards a basic solution. Cislo: There are problems with gangs where I live and probably just about everywhere.

Julie A.S. Carson 16, lives in Birmingham and is a sophomore at Cranbrook schools. "You have to start with the youttger generation, with my generation, and to educate and to promote tolerance and self respect." March 24: Voters love the thriving economy, but they're worried about job security and saving for retirement. April 26: Michiganians like recent welfare reforms, but say more work must be done. very good.

And they are passing laws and setting precedents. Gaines: I believe crime is down because unemployment is down and economy has a lot to do with crime being down. The most important thing we can do about violence is to give young people a good education. 1 think to warehouse people does nothing to solve the problem it has no value to keep people locked up somewhere. Robinson: We have such a blurred line between right and wrong that we send mixed messages to children.

The Ten Commandments are pretty basic. We have to fight things on a broad level drugs at the top, get these children when they are young, get to their parents, rehabilitate the people in our prisons. Pauline Reese: I think the biggest thing Ls early intervention. We have to get to children when they are young and teach them morals at a young age. As many mothers as can should stay home with their cliilda-n.

I know it's hard, but single parents can do more to teach their children. There is not enough knowledge even at college level of the consequences of their actions. I low what you do has an effect on your future. There is no realization on how what you do now has an effect. Lach family should teach that.

Geena Hardaway: Churches should make a strong effort to help to instill these moral values and exercise these values. A push between the real world out there and what's inside the four walls of that church. Susan Carson: To start getting things better, maybe we really do have to start with the youngest children we have coming up now and try to make a difference. Environment. Parenting skills.

The family they are in. Julie Carson: You have to start with the younger generation, with my generation, and to educate and to promote tolerance and self respect. And I think that will promote social change. If we keep concentrating on the older generations then we are going to keep running amund in circles because the younger generations will keep coming up needing help. Gerald Sieja 37, lives in Sterling Ieights and is a park worker.

"We vote in our officials, our judges, often people with moral backgrounds that aren't very good. And they are passing laws and setting precedents." Monday: While Michiganians aren't as concerned today as they were two years ago about the economy and job security, they wonder if schools and universities will be able to graduate students with the sophisticated skills that industry needs. About this series Throughout the 1998 campaigns, The Detroit News will examine the issues that the voters not the politicians think are important. Previous installments in the Mood March 22: Michiganians feel good about the direction of the I 1U. siate ana country, anu say mc humming economy has never been better.

But the roads are so bad that they've replaced jobs and the economy as the No. 1 problem facing the state..