WDEF News 12

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We're just days away from the end of school for Hamilton County Students. That means that the long hot summer we've been preparing for is upon us. As we wrap up our Youth Violence series we take a look at the programs in place to help steer youngters down the right path.

Nordia, "Are you ready?"

Sgt. Jeri Weary, "We may as well be cause it's already here."

Chattanooga police know that as the temperature rises and kids leave school behind for the summer they have their work cut out for them.

Sgt. Weary, "We often see a rise in property crimes, property related offenses, We also see a rise in juvenile activity be it delinquent activity or positive activity."

The plan of action...keep on policing like they do 365 days a year.

Sgt. Weary, "Patrolling the streets, looking for DUI offenders trying to prevent disorders in areas where we know there's a high concentration of crime, answering our calls in an orderly and timely fashion and trying to bring resolutions to the issues that citizens might have."

Community groups in the prevention business also have plans in place. The goal, keep kids busy this summer.

Joe Smith, " An idle mind is the devil's workshop."

Joe Smith heads up the YMCA Community Action Program. The free program helps to put at-risk middle schoolers back on the right path...with life lessons like anger management.

Maurice Calloway, "I had like bad grades and anytime somebody joke with me I'd get mad and want to joke back and fight."

YCAP's summertime plans include camping, and theme weeks like health, justice and giving back.

Smith, "The more we can structure a young person's time then the less likely they are to make bad choices and get themselves in trouble."

Chattanooga's 16 rec centers also have plenty of activities in place, some of them at a cost.

Rhonda Seeber, Chattanooga Parks and Rec, "Our summer camp program is going to focus on the olympics theme and there will be games and sporting event type activities that the kids will be involved in."

Beth Trussell, The Front Porch Alliance, "I think it's going to be a huge opportunity."

And thirty groups have teamed up with the City and the Front Porch Alliance to offer under served youngsters age 13 to 19 a little more than something to do.

Trussell, "The majority of the programs, we're trying to put money into kids hands. We know that they don't have nor do their families have the ability to pay."

Most of the programs also help keep kids from falling behind academically over the summer.

Click here for more on the Chattanooga Parks and Recreation Programs. [1]

Click here for more on YCAP. [2]

Click here for part one of this story. [2]

Call 423-756-8545 for more on the programs offered by groups teaming up with the Front Porch Alliance.

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