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Home > Clayton.Talk > Archives > 2007 > April > 09
Monday, April 9, 2007
Is you subdivison in “Code Red” status?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Do you get nervous when you see a group of kids hanging around your subdivision doing things you know they shouldn’t be doing? Your community can now send a message to those kids and, more importantly, their parents.
“Code Red” is a joint effort among the Clayton County Juvenile Court system, Clayton County police and homeowner associations. It is specifically designed to address parents not properly supervising their children. So if your child is accused of any criminal offense, both parent and child can be brought to Juvenile Court immediately. Once in court, the judge will take the appropriate action specific to each individual case.
“The essence is to try to get the parents who are not controlling their kids into court either immediately or within 24 hours, depending on the time of day,” Judge Steven Teske said. “We see many issues with some of the more troubled youth coming into court because parents are not adequately supervising or controlling their kids.”
Back in November 2006 the Judge ordered a 15-year-old girl fighting with another child within a Riverdale subdivision permanently removed. The girl, who had no family or adult supervision there, was sent to her mother’s Ellenwood subdivision. Teske advocates accountability by parents and child, not banishment. “We look at the parents asking if there’s any connection to parental supervision, or lack thereof, and the child’s actions. The best probation officer is still the parent,” he says.
The judge favors a program managed by the mental health department called “Parenting With Love and Limits.” “I like this because its not the same old parenting program. It works with the child and parent at the same time and we’ve had a good deal of success with it.” But make no mistake, if harsher action is called for the judge will act accordingly.
There are now five subdivisions participating, and one more in the works. Judge Teske recently received a letter from a participating homeowner association thanking the Judge and Police Chief Jeff Turner for their involvement in Code Red. “That subdivision has not had a single incident in their subdivision since Code Red went into effect there,” according to Teske.
Adds Chief Turner, “From the police side, this program has been effective. Once we start making examples of kids who live in these communities, it embarrasses the parents and forces them to be responsible for their children’s actions. Parents become more vigilant in knowing where their kids are, what they are doing and who they are hanging out with.”
Even if you have no children Code Red can be beneficial, especially if you own property here. “We want to make sure that property values remain intact,” says Teske, who has lived in Clayton since he was 14 years old and isn’t going anywhere. “I refuse to be one of those who abandons Clayton County, it’s been my home and if you call it your home you have to act like it’s your home, and you shouldn’t be abandoning your home or your neighbors.”
Will you attempt to implement Code Red within your community? If you are living in an area that already has Code Red, what effect has it had on your neighborhood? Do you see changes? Please share your stories!
Have your Homeowner’s Association email Sharion Washington, Chief Probation Officer of the Juvenile Court of Clayton County for more information if your subdivision is interested in participating in the Code Red program: Sharion.washington@co.clayton.ga.us
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