I know the Mayor of Minneapolis gets it when he says, "We can’t arrest the problem of crime away... we need to also get at the root causes of crime to win back our kids."In a recent press release, Mayor R. T. Rybak speaks to the success of the City’s Juvenile Crime Unit saying, "arrests of juvenile offenders have increased 115% and charges of juvenile offenders have increased 50% when compared to last year." That's the tragic but necessary part, and the answer to the immediate problem of juvenile crime.
How I know he gets the message at the heart of my soon to be out Man-Making book (subscribers will be notified), is described in what else the city is doing for kids. Read this taken from the article:
In addition to tough enforcement, Mayor Rybak insisted that the long-term solution to youth crime is to attack the core issues that put kids at risk. Towards that end, the City has increased the number of youth summer jobs, expanded youth recreation, and increased funding for aggressive outreach to the most disconnected, at-risk youth to out-recruit the gangs.
“We can’t arrest the problem of crime away,” Rybak said. “There’s a time for tough enforcement – and we’re doing that – but we need to also get at the root causes of crime to win back our kids. We must prevent crime by creating an environment of hope for our youth. This takes all of us stepping forward to connect youth with trusted adults and give them a sense that they belong.”
The Mayor's call to the citizens is very much the same as my call to men. We don't have to live in denial, fear, and hopelessness about this problem. People, but especially men, if they hear this call, can do something to make a difference in young male lives.
Click here to read the complete article... and then go do something!
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