Mayor Stephen Rideout
mayor@choosecambridge.com
Dear Readers:
Attached is my August Cambridge Matters in both Word and PDF. In addition, I am attaching the currently proposed Curfew Ordinance 1221 with no changes and the most recent data from the Department of Juvenile Services (DJS) about Dorchester County youth (including Cambridge) and their involvement with DJS or the court.
I know that it is a lot of material to read but you can choose to just read the Cambridge Matters or dig deeper into the issue of juvenile delinquency here. As you will see by the numbers from DJS, the number of children that are court or DJS involved is very small compared to the number of children that live in the county and Cambridge. We have many children that are doing the right thing. We just need to find ways for these few children to be redirected effectively.
That does not diminish the frustrations that exist in the community as a result of this behavior, but it does show us that with the right services and some better directed state funding, these challenges can be addressed effectively and comprehensively. I also would remind us that we did not arrive at this place over night. These issues have been with us for a long time without being effectively addressed.
I welcome your thoughts and comments.
Steve
WORD VERSION
PDF VERSION