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Minutes 08-27-98 MINUTES OF THE ADVISORY BOARD ON CHILDREN AND YOUTH MEETING HELD IN LIBRARY PROGRAM ROOM, BOYNTON BEACH LIBRARY 208 S. SEACREST BLVD., BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 1998 AT 6:30 P.M. PRESENT STAFF Shanna St. John, Chairperson Melody Green, Recreation Director Bob Borovy, Vice Chairman Amy DeVries, Student Charles Fisher Angela Girtman Marie Lengert Hattie Miller Denise Panton Stephen Waldman, Alternate Steven Kuehn, Student ABSENT Jermane Ivery, Student Ita Murray, Alternate I. CALL TO ORDER Chairperson St. John called the meeting to order at 6:40 p.m. II. MOMENT OF SILENT PRAYER PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Following a moment of silent prayer, Vice Chairman Bob Borovy led the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION Upon motion by Steve Waldman and second by Vice Chairman Borovy, the Agenda was approved. Motion carried unanimously. IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES MEETING MINUTES CHILDREN AND YOUTH ADVISORY BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA AUGUST 27, 1998 MOTION Vice Chair Borovy moved that the Minutes of the July 23, 1998 meeting be approved. Motion seconded by Mr. Waldman. Motion carried unanimously. V. WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS-Shanna St. John Chairperson St. John thanked everyone for being present this evening and advised that the Advisory Board on Children and Youth meets the fourth Thursday of each month to discuss all topics involving children in the community. Chairperson St. John encouraged all persons present tonight to attend future meetings. Chairperson St. John introduced the members of the Advisory Board, Ms. Melody Green, the City’s Recreation Director, and Chief Marshal Gage of the Boynton Beach Police Department. Chairperson St. John advised that tonight’s regular meeting of the Advisory Board on Children and Youth has been condensed in order to provide ample time for the presentations this evening. VI. NEW BUSINESS None VII. OLD BUSINESS A. Bowling Tournament, Vice Chair, Bob Borovy – Vice Chair Borovy stated that the adult/youth bowling tournament took place on August 9, 1998 which was a fundraiser for the scholarship program of the Advisory Board on Children and Youth. The AMC Boynton Lanes (formerly Fairlanes) sponsored the event. Vice Chair Borovy thanked all those involved with the tournament in making it a great success and stated that a trophy was provided to each first, second and third place winners in each of the four age groups. Trophies were donated by Manhattan Trophy of Lake Worth. There were a total of 87 entries and $470.00 went toward the scholarship fund. B. Butterfly Garden- Charlie Fisher Mr. Fisher stated the Butterfly Garden was a joint effort between Boynton Beach Garden Club, volunteers of all ages, and an Eagle Scout from local Boy Scout Troop 2 MEETING MINUTES CHILDREN AND YOUTH ADVISORY BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA AUGUST 27, 1998 395. The Rotary Club donated $800 towards the butterfly garden. Mr. Fisher stated that the Butterfly Garden is located next to the Library. On planting day 54 volunteers participated. Mr. Fisher thanked the fire department for turning on the hydrants to cool off the children. All those who participated in this project were acknowledged for their assistance. C. Youth Expo – Amy DeVries Ms. DeVries stated that the youth expo is a two-day event that is held bi-annually at the Boynton Beach Mall and is scheduled for November 7-8, 1998. The youth expo this $2,500 year is being sponsored by a donation of from the Sun-Sentinel. There will be two stages of continuous entertainment and over 20 tables will be set up offering youth oriented informational materials. There will be four separate contests for elementary, Hunter’s middle and high school students. Ms. DeVries informed the audience that Run$1,000 has donated to sponsor the photography contest. Three additional sponsors are needed for the other three contests and all monies go directly to the winners of the contents in the form of savings bond prizes. D. America’s Promise – Charlie Fisher Mr. Fisher stated that America’s Promise is a national effort to coordinate all the different projects being offered in the City and is a project formulated by General Colin Powell. The goal of the project is to reach 10% of the youth in the community. Mr. Fisher read to the audience the meaning of America’s Promise. America’s Promise goals are to assure that the young people of the community have access to five fundamental resources – ? Ongoing relationship with a caring adult; ? Safe places and structured activities during non-school hours; ? Healthy start for a healthy future; ? Marketable and career skills through effective education; and ? Opportunity to give back these services. Mr. Fisher stated there are eight communities in Florida that are certified America’s Promise communities and Boca Raton is the only community certified in Palm Beach County. Mr. Fisher invited the audience to attend a workshop on America’s Promise that will take place on September 12, 1998 at 9:00 a.m. in the Library. 3 MEETING MINUTES CHILDREN AND YOUTH ADVISORY BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA AUGUST 27, 1998 VIII. ANNOUNCEMENTS – Shanna St. John Chairperson St. John announced the following dates and events: st September 1 Election Day rd September 3 Commission Meeting/ Budget Public Hearing th September 12 America’s Promise Workshop th September 24 Regularly scheduled Children and Youth Advisory Board Meeting; Guest speaker from the Children and Youth Council th September 26 Ribbon cutting ceremony for Butterfly Garden IX. PRESENTATION – “CHILD SAFETY IN THE SCHOOLS” CITY OF BOYNTON BEACH CHIEF OF POLICE MARSHALL GAGE Mr. Waldman stated that tonight there would be two experts to speak on the topic of “Child Safety in the Schools” and encouraged all those in attendance tonight to disseminate the knowledge they gain from tonight’s speakers. Mr. Waldman introduced Police Chief, Marshall Gage to the audience who will answer all questions at the end of his presentation. CHIEF OF POLICE MARSHALL GAGE Chief Gage stated he was not an expert on Schools, but that Chief Jim Kelly, Chief of the School Police Department will be able to address these types of questions. Chief Gage stated he would present a perspective of some of the issues that he deals with which include truants, as well as the kids who do make it through school and those that don’t make it. Chief Gage displayed a quote on the screen that appeared in the New York Times that read as follows – “The most dangerous thing we ask our children is to go back and forth to school everyday. We tell our children every morning to pay attention in school, be good. We don’t say what is in our hearts, come back alive.” Chief Gage informed the audience that his young son had been the victim of several assaults in school and that was of great concern to him. As a result his son became involved in marshal arts in order to defend himself. Also, Chief Gage pointed out that each time a child is involved in a fight at school it means suspension from school and 4 MEETING MINUTES CHILDREN AND YOUTH ADVISORY BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA AUGUST 27, 1998 this is a problem that has grown over the years. This creates a very hostile environment and it is very difficult for children to learn if they feel threatened for their personal safety. Chief Gage stated he cannot solve all these problems, but will be able to share some of the Police Department’s plans. Chief Gage stressed that the schools cannot raise your children. Chief Gage stated it was disappointing that the parents that should be in attendance tonight were not and that teachers could not teach respect or discipline. This must be taught at home. Chief Gage stated that the educators are being blamed for not teaching and the police officers are being blamed for not maintaining discipline and the safety of the children. Chief Gage explained he is dealing with two major issues in this City, one is drugs and the other youth problems. One of the youth problems is being addressed in conjunction with the School Board and is the issue of truancy and suspension. There is a great cooperation and partnership with the School Police and the School Board in resolving some of the truancy and ending all suspensions. Chief Gage spoke about the Truancy Interdiction Program (“TIP”) that operates throughout the County and that Boynton Beach is one of the strongest and largest contributors to the program. Last year a pilot program was started in the Congress Middle School regarding suspensions. Chief Gage stated we are loosing the children. They go to school and learn ways to get out of school and are learning absolutely nothing. Chief Gage stated that children should not be suspended from school, but put into a special program where they are still required to study and do homework, but are not allowed to socialize and associate with the other children. The project was instituted last year and a police officer was also assigned to this class, but unfortunately the officer left. Mr. Sills has agreed to institute the program again this year and another police officer has volunteered for the program. Chief Gage stated that children who are not in school and are out on suspension are usually out in the community and many times involved in crimes. Chief Gage noted that the Colonel who started the ROTC program at Atlantic High School has started to work with some of the children at Congress Middle School. Also a citizens’ police academy is offered twice a year in the City for three hours, one night per week for ten weeks. Chief Gage stated that a miniature police academy would be offered at the schools, with a goal of keeping kids off the street. Chief Gage stated it is important to reach the parents to instill responsibility in these parents. Chief Gage stated he has additional ideas that he was planning to introduce at the Congress Middle School this year and that he was invited here this evening to help parents get their children to and from school safely everyday. Chief Gage stated the first thing a child must do is not fight. Secondly, dress codes are important. Today 5 MEETING MINUTES CHILDREN AND YOUTH ADVISORY BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA AUGUST 27, 1998 children are being robbed for their shoes and shirts. If a child wants to wear $150 Michael Jordan shoes, they are a target. Jewelry makes your child a target-- don’t wear gold chains. Expensive clothing makes your child a target. Chief Gage cautioned parents to become aware if their child starts wearing something unusual, such as a bandana or scarves. This could be the sign your child has become a member of a gang. Also, Chief Gage noted that teachers who wear tee shirts and jeans to school do not speak of professionalism and do not create a proper learning environment. This should not be the image portrayed to children. Teachers should be setting good examples and children should be taught to dress appropriately. Most importantly, children should be taught in schools that they are there to learn and be educated. Chief Gage asked for questions from the audience. Ms. Panton inquired how does the police department handle a situation where the child does not show up for the in-house suspension? Chief Gage stated that the officer assigned to truancy issues would track down the child. Mr. Waldman thanked Chief Gage for his very informative presentation. Chairperson St. John introduced three Board members who had arrived, Ms. Angela Girtman, Steven Kuehn and Hattie Miller. Chairperson St. John also welcomed Commissioners Nellie Denahan and Jamie Titcomb. PALM BEACH COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT CHIEF OF POLICE, JIM KELLY Mr. Waldman introduced James Kelly, Chief of Police of the Palm Beach County School District. Chief Kelly informed the audience that Palm Beach County has the third largest school population in the state with 146,000 students and 76,000 employees. Chief Kelly stated that the schools are experiencing less crime than 10 to 15 years ago and that the most important thing is to keep the child going to school and staying in school. In looking at 5 P’s Rule applies school safety the – Physical, Psychological, Policies and backup, Programming to reinforce the policies, and Partnerships with everyone in the community. 6 MEETING MINUTES CHILDREN AND YOUTH ADVISORY BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA AUGUST 27, 1998 Chief Kelly stated you could not have a safe environment in the schools without the cooperation of the local police departments. Past policy was to get rid of the problem and to keep the bad kids out of school. However, suspension can only last so long and the bad student will be back in school. Community policing is one way to deal with these students. Chief Kelly stated the reason most children are truant from school is because they are doing poorly in school. In 1992 the TIP Program was introduced. The way this program works is that every police officer on the street is a truant officer. If an officer sees any school age child on the street, he can pick the child up and bring the child to a drop off point. Truants from this area are dropped off at the Delray old county courthouse and the program is run by the Sheriff’s Office. At this point the parent is contacted and must come to the drop off center and pick up their child. The School District arranges for truants to receive help through the youth service bureau where they can receive counseling. There are five TIP sites that are located with the youth service bureaus. It is important that all community officers work together to get the youngsters back in school. By keeping the youngsters out of trouble, the crime rate decreases as well. Chief Kelly stated that the crime rates within a one-mile radius of the West Palm Beach Schools have been cut down 60% to 80% because of these programs. Also, every truant is picked up at the Palm Beach Mall during school hours and the shoplifting rate has decreased 24%. School policies are very strong. If a student comes to school with a firearm, the student is expelled. As a result of this strict policy, expulsions from school have been cut way down and there was a 76% decrease in weapons on campus. There has also been a significant decrease in “other” weapons, which could be any item that could injure. Chief Kelly stated that Palm Beach County has the largest conflict resolution site and this is taught through the teachers and the classrooms on how to handle anger and talk out problems. If this doesn’t work, there is another process available through mediation through their peers. This process has been a tremendous help. It is important that staff be trained in how to deal with these issues and learn not to escalate volatile situations. Teachers have been trained in crisis prevention and if the teacher is not effective and a student is out of control, there is a team trainer who can be called in to deal with this student. Chief Kelly explained how this training is accomplished which has resulted in a 50% decrease of incidences upon school district employees. Chief Kelly also explained that “verbal judo” is used in situations that need calming down which is an eight-step method to deal with out-of-control youth and has proved very effective in police work. It is anticipated that all school district employees will be 7 MEETING MINUTES CHILDREN AND YOUTH ADVISORY BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA AUGUST 27, 1998 trained on how to deal with irate students. Also, Chief Kelly pointed out that it is important to deal with these youth with respect. To sum up, Chief Kelly explained some of the programs that are being offered in the School District. There are after school programs, security programs and alternative programs. The after school programs in the Middle Schools have been very important. The students are supervised and recreation, tutorial and behavioral programs are offered. Chief Kelly introduced all the different activities that are offered. The only way the student can avail themselves of all these recreational activities is to stay in school. As a result, attendance has increased, behavioral problems have decreased and these programs are in place in 26 schools. A federal grant has been received to introduce these programs in 10 elementary schools. Chief Kelly also stated with the addition of other crime deterrents, such as cameras on campus, this has cut down on the incidence of crime against person and theft. Also, there is a two-dog system on school campuses. There are drug dogs and gun dogs. Also multiple language training is available. There are police officers in all the high schools and middle schools, magnet schools and now in the elementary schools. Chief Kelly explained how the youth court works and stated there is one located in the South County Court House on Thursday nights at 6:30 p.m. These courts operate the same way a regular court room functions. Usually a youth will have to perform community service hours, serve on the jury or pay restitution. The recidivism rate is down to 45%. Chief Kelly indicated there were four youth courts in different parts of the County and urged people to attend a session to see how effective they have become. Chief Kelly concluded his presentation and a question and answer period followed. Ms. Green asked how overcrowding in the schools is handled. Chief Kelly indicated there is sufficient personnel in place to deal with problems that overcrowding can cause. Mr. Waldman inquired how many police officers are assigned to the School District. Chief Kelly said there are 85 officers in the school system and that the School District does not hire rookies. All officers hired by the School District have many years of experience and over 50% have at least two years of college. These officers are better experienced to deal with the situations that arise in a school environment. Also, there is youth auxiliary and youth crime watch in place in the schools. A question was asked from the audience on the difference between “no fighting” and “self-defense” and Chief Kelly explained the difference and how “self-defense” can be utilized under certain conditions. 8 MEETING MINUTES CHILDREN AND YOUTH ADVISORY BOARD BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA AUGUST 27, 1998 Mr. Waldman thanked Chief Kelly for making his presentation this evening. X. PUBLIC AUDIENCE Chairperson St. John thanked the students who were assigned to babysitting this evening and the Library Department for their fine preparation in setting up the room. Chairperson St. John also thanked Police Chief Gage and Police Chief Kelly for attending tonight’s meeting. Mr. Fisher, as a parent and member of this community, expressed his pleasure on the information presented this evening and thanked those present in the audience for taking the time to attend tonight’s meeting. Mr. Fisher also stated that this type of school policing ties in with the America’s Promise project that he spoke about earlier this evening. XI. ADJOURNMENT Chairperson St. John thanked everyone and stated there was no further business. The meeting properly adjourned at 8:10 p.m. Respectfully submitted, _____________________________ Barbara M. Madden Recording Secretary (two tapes) 9