LAST WEEK: SHOULD PARENTS BE FINED, JAILED FOR KIDS’ MISDEEDS?

With crime increasing in many metro Atlanta areas, a city councilwoman from South Fulton wants to make parents pay financially and with jail time if their children break laws. Helen Zenobia Willis has proposed requiring parents to take classes or participate in other diversion programs to help them manage unruly children, if those children get in trouble with the law. If the parents don’t, or their interventions prove worthless, the proposed law could fine them up to $100 or send them to jail for up to 30 days.

We asked readers if they though Willis had a sound idea. Here’s what some said:

If your child is breaking into houses, cutting school, ganged up, robbing, how can you not know as a parent! What the heck is your child doing outside after 9 or 10 p.m.? Shouldn’t they be studying? Parents have a duty and responsibility for their children. — Craig Gregory

I have been preaching this concept for a couple of years. If it can be proven that the menace’s parents have been giving him free reign to do whatever the hell he wants, then yes not only that, the parents should get up to half the sentence as the menacing thug. This can be decided after a complete investigation, including talking to neighbors, school administrators, etc. and relatives to determine if it was plain to see what was going on, and the parent(s) failed to exert parental control. This needs to become GA law more like yesterday. It had reached a public health crisis status. — Anonymous

I am all for this! As a retired school counselor, I have always thought this. — Peggy Heinisch

There will always be ways for the law to excuse mentally challenged kids, but for the parents who just don’t care, I’m all for this. It’s their job to raise a responsible child. I’ve been one of the leading voices in opposition of this upcoming ordinance proposal. — Marcus Coleman

Yes, I feel parents should be held responsible crime committed by their children. It is the parent responsibility to make sure the child is responsible for their actions starting at home, bedtime, clean room, follow the rules of the parents. Respect for others. Parents must make an effort to find out who their children’s friends are. Parents must show respect to their children if they wish for them to show respect for others. You can’t use profanity towards your children and not expect them to imitate that behavior. — Olivia Gillette

When we lived in Ohio, the mayor in our city had a juveniles Mayors Court. Depending on the severity of the crime, most children/parents had to pay a fine and or had community service hours. This seemed to work quite well. Doing community service hours alongside a grumbling parent for days or weeks really helped. — Becky Nowak