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Latest News
"SPOTLIGHT" ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER
SPRING/SUMMER 2008 EDITION
YCW of Miami-Dade "News"
Message from YCW of Miami-Dade Education Director:
Children and young people can be so vulnerable to fall for the ills of school crime. It presents itself in the form of bullying, cyberbullying, drug use, stranger danger, auto theft, gang activity, vandalism, fighting, robbery, and much more. Youth Crime Watch (YCW) of Miami-Dade County has been healing those ills throughout the last 28 years by implementing youth crime watch programs in the Miami-Dade schools. YCW of Miami-Dade County was recently selected as the National Crime Prevention Program of the Year by the National Crime Prevention Council. YCW educates students on safety skills which in turn the youth have applied those skills in their schools to promote safe school environments, educate their peers on crime prevention, and curb school crime. Close to 35,000 students per year are educated by YCW of Miami-Dade on a broad diversity of youth crime prevention topics via assemblies, presentations, and YCW club meetings. Close to 100 schools have active YCW programs (clubs). YCW provides services in nearly 200 schools on a yearly basis. The organization also provides students and faculty a multitude of crime prevention materials so the safety education can be reinforced in the classroom lessons and in YCW club activities. YCW is also the premier organization which has McGruff the Crime Dog appear and present in Miami-Dade school safety functions. These efforts are supported by the Miami-Dade Schools Police Department as our primary partnering organization.
All these wonderful initiatives are hanging on a limb because the Miami-Dade School Board may cut the entire funding for Youth Crime Watch of Miami-Dade County in the coming year due to budget crisis. The school board has funded YCW since its inception because it is an allied program of the Miami-Dade Schools and its police department. We are appreciative of their past support for so many years. The school board has allocated $114,000 for the last 8 years to our program. Again, YCW serves close to 35,000 students a year. Do the math! Chief Gerald Darling of the Miami-Dade Schools Police Department has stated that school crime statistics and survey assessments have continuously demonstrated that schools with YCW programs have lower crime rates and safer school environments. This in turn is a contributing factor in academic achievement. A child that is fearful of being bullied and harassed will prioritize their fear over their academics. On the other side of the "safety spectrum", those children that feel comfortable and safe in their school environments will be more motivated & determined to focus on their academics. I have personally observed the successful productivity of YCW of Miami-Dade County as Education Director/School Coordinator of the organization throughout the last 10 years. I have experienced at first-hand the dominant factors that youth crime prevention education has in molding our future leaders to strive for success and strengthen our school communities. The students are the "eyes & ears" of our schools. They are the primary stakeholders in preventing crime at their schools by educating their peers on safety topics and anonymously reporting threats & warning signs that can lead to criminal activity. However, they cannot do this without adequate training. YCW of Miami-Dade County's primary mission is to provide them the training & the skills to make their safety visions an observable reality. It is a mission that has been possible year after year. We are looking forward to the new school year in continuing our Mission, should the funding become available. Our cause and priority is the "safety of our students". Wishing you a wonderful and safe summer season!
Joel Mesa
