Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Council offers teens positive pursuits

Local youth once had too much time on their hands, and that meant trouble. Then a youth program started.

By MARLON A. WALKER
Published February 19, 2006

ST. PETERSBURG - Juvenile crime was headed in the wrong direction eight years ago, St. Petersburg police Officer Richard Grimberg says.

From the looks of things, he said, there was nothing better for the children to do.

In the Lakewood community, where he is a community police officer, Grimberg started the Lakewood Teen Council to provide options to keep children out of trouble.

It became a citywide offering.

And it seems to have helped.

"The teen council answered parents' question of "what do we do with our children?' " said Grimberg, 48, who has worked in the Lakewood community for 11 of his 21 years as a police officer.

The Lakewood Teen Council has grown over the years into the St. Petersburg Youth Council, which encompasses chapters in different parts of the city.

Grimberg said other officers recognized a need for what he was doing in their communities and wanted to join in. Some, like Officer Teresa Strong, said teens were getting into trouble for the sake of having something to do.

"I would say, "Why are you burglarizing this home?' " Strong said. "The answer would be, "I was bored.' They'd be just hanging out, not knowing what to do."

Her vested interest in their well being comes in looking out for their futures.

"I don't want them to ruin their lives by doing something early on before they have to worry about (consequences) of these terrible things in the long run," she said.

Delquanda Turner, who represents the council's Campbell Park chapter, said it is important that children are given structured activities, which help keep them out of trouble.

At the Campbell Park Neighborhood Family Center on Seventh Avenue S, where she's the program coordinator, they offer a slew of activities and field trips children can participate in. Tuesday, children spent several hours making valentines in a special arts and crafts event for the holiday.

Other events over the years have included summer camps, horseback riding, bowling and trips to Busch Gardens. Educational trips to MOSI and community cleanups are also thrown in for a good mixture. "These are field trips that these kids aren't usually able to do," she said.

Turner said she sees the partnership as being beneficial for those involved. Children are given activities to keep them busy, she said. They also get an understanding of what the police do. Some children who grow up in low-income housing rarely get to see police when they're not around for negative reasons, she said.

"Because they have that lifestyle, they have a more negative perspective," she said. "Whenever they see 5-0, it's not a good thing. This program helps with their perceptions of what officers do."

Grimberg said it's a lot better than the time when officers would have rocks and bottles thrown at them.

"Any time you wear the uniform, sometimes it's more of a liability than an asset," he said. "Now, we get respect in the area."

Contact community police Officer Richard Grimberg at 892-5925.

[Last modified February 19, 2006, 01:08:19]