Cities Resort to Programs to Curb Youth Violence_美文

Cities Resort to Programs to Curb Youth Violence

"We have the financial resources to put about 450 more [police officers] cops on the street," said Newark's mayor, Ras Baraka.

Baraka, is trying various ways to curb youth crime. He's put more police on street patrols, but with mixed results. As a former high school principal, he has also put more resources towards educational programs that target young people in some of the city's most crime-ridden neighborhoods.

"It is not just about pulling yourself up by your boot straps or just changing your mind and saying 'I want to do right'. It is having the right people and support around you that helps you pick the right path and have the courage and strength to stay on that path," he said.

The mayor's example has 19 year old Darnell Smith turning his life around.

"I want to be known for that guy right there [the mayor]. But he also took another step and became the next councilman and like Ras Baraka then mayor. Maybe that could be me some day you never know," said Smith.

Darrell Price is trying to help 16 to 24-year-old high school dropouts. He runs a program that gives them educational and job skills.

"The recidivism rate for young people who we have who have already committed crimes our recidivism rate is below five percent," said Price.

Seventeen-year-old Jasmine Barnett had no plans to finish high school - until she had a baby. Now that she's a parent, she's about to graduate and look for a job.