Kids need lesson in crime consequences

Pennsylvania school districts and communities could benefit from the state requring a four-session course on crime at the junior high level.

Reports of increased juvenile crime in the Altoona area provide plenty of justification for such a learning experience.

The Legislature and governor’s office should endorse the idea and take meaningful steps to formally implement it as soon as practicable, preferably by fast-tracking the course’s preparation and providing funding to help districts surmount any financial constraints that might exist.

The issue is serious enough to warrant such a strategy. No community should have to deal with such an undermining situation. Educating schoolchildren early on about what crime-solving and criminal justice are all about might help young people avoid getting on the wrong side of the law.

A recent Altoona Mirror article on youth crime began: “Several teenagers charged as adults in a New Year’s Day shooting in the city (Altoona) are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg, said local officials, who admit juvenile violence is a growing trend.”

The story mentioned Blair County District Attorney Pete Weeks’ observation that the lack of available bed spaces, probation officers and certain other resources has been making it difficult for law enforcement agencies to detain and address acts of violence by juveniles who see little — if any — consequences for committing serial crimes.

“That’s been a huge part of the problem,” Weeks said, adding that without consequences when they commit a crime, juveniles often increase the seriousness of their crime. “They don’t believe that there’s a consequence because that’s what the system is showing them.”

Patrick Tomassetti of the Altoona police is quoted as saying shooting incidents involving juveniles are becoming a major concern.

About the sessions proposed at the top of this editorial:

The logical first session would do well to touch on the investigation of a crime and evidence-gathering. The second session could center on the arrest process, and the third on court proceedings.The fourth session could deal with incarceration.

The education option can be one of the easier assets for addressing the growing juvenile crime problem, but it is not a cure-all, and more ideas need to be forthcoming.

—Altoona Mirror

Bipartisan building

Bipartisanship can build bridges and roads and railways

As the days get longer and the weather warms, our thoughts turn to spring pastimes like gardening, baseball and waiting in traffic as roadwork kicks into gear. The last is not necessarily a negative thing. Short-term pain can lead to long-term gain, especially as a burst of federal funding spurs long-neglected infrastructure repairs.

The “bipartisan” part of the law’s title is perhaps overblown, as only 19 Republican senators at the time voted “aye.” In the House, only 13 GOP members approved. Of course, that hasn’t stopped many of them from taking credit when these important projects land in their districts.

But in the spirit of bipartisanship, let’s focus on the good the $1 trillion bill has wrought. As of the end of February, $14.7 billion in Infrastructure Law funding has been announced for 445 projects in Pennsylvania. Those projects go well beyond roads and bridges, paying for improvements in Internet access, water systems, public transit, airports and the electrical grid.

Those are investments in the future, facilitating trade, economic growth and opportunity. They show what we can still achieve if we work together in the spirit of democracy and compromise.

For too long, the U.S. neglected upkeep of the systems that allow us to prosper as “infrastructure weeks” came and went. The Infrastructure Law broke an impasse that was holding us back as other countries constructed modern airports, high-speed rail lines and robust telecommunications networks.

As we get deeper into this national election year, we should focus less on the rhetoric that divides us and more on the initiatives we can pursue together that will make us a stronger nation. And we should hold candidates at all levels accountable by insisting they address what they can achieve in office to further the common good, even if that means reaching across the aisle.

Because putting up with some painful bipartisanship in the short term, like enduring stalled traffic for a highway construction project, can lead to a better, brighter future.

—Scranton Times-Tribune