Recreation fights crime.

This is the approach of the '90s: Parks and recreation agencies must collaborate with other government and private agencies to address the needs of the young," says Jim Colley, CLP, director of the Phoenix Parks, Recreation and Library Department. With this approach, the department has found some success in reducing incidents of juvenile delinquency.

Parks and recreation, police and judicial courts--these three entities are links in a chain that can help prevent juvenile delinquency. Each has its own power to influence and change a young life, but, too often, they work alone. In Phoenix, Arizona the link has been strengthened through two innovative programs: one is a grant from the Arizona Supreme Court which extended summer recreation programs and helped pilot new programs; the other is the Juvenile Curfew Program which keeps kids off the streets at night and puts them in recreation programs.

Parks and recreation programs strive to keep kids out of trouble; they are at the beginning of the process. Judicial courts usually are at the end of the process, sending kids to be locked up or, hopefully, rehabilitated. In 1991 and 1993, the Arizona Supreme Court stepped out of their traditional role to get involved at the beginning--it gave the city of Phoenix Parks, Recreation and Library Department a grant for two summers to fund various recreation programs. The result: an up to a 52 percent reduction in juvenile crime.

The department's success in sponsoring expanded summer recreation programs has been a positive influence to youth-at-risk. Their participation is outstanding, with almost 135,000 youths benefiting from the programs. In 1993, the Arizona Supreme Court ailocated 863,000 and the department provided 837,000 in a local cash match.

According to Cynthia Peters, At-Risk Youth Division supervisor, "It gave us an opportunity to expand existing programs, late night/weekend activities, and provide more services to teens during the leisure time during the summer months. We provided services for 74 cents a kid--it would cost 838,000 per year to lock up a kid."

The programs were divided into five identified areas of participation.

Juvenile Curfew Youth Counseling

The Juvenile curfew program implemented in February 1993 picked up 1,648 youths for curfew violations during the first six months. Recreation staff and police saw a need for a social services component to the program to follow up with some of the youth violators. A youth counselor was added to the Juvenile Curfew Program using 82,000 of the grant. During August 1993, of the 467 youths picked up for curfew violation, 105 were contacted by the youth counselor and, of those, 80 youths took advantage of the offered services.

Kool Kids

Kool Kids is a program which provides free swimming at city pools to youth 17 years-old and younger. Aquatics staff solicit donations from businesses and individuals to sponsor a pool for an evening or a day during the summer. With private donations of $30,000 and Supreme Court funds of $25,000, nine pools had free swim for 82,122 youths.

Park/Recreation Center Youth Programs

Parks and recreation centers are able to be open and have programs during the times kids needed it the most-- weekends and evenings. Five centers and the Cave Creek Sports Complex used 813,000 of the court grant to keep busy 231,405 youths.

City Streets Outreach 

The City Streets Outreach program ran not only at 14 city parks and recreation centers, but also in two schools, Carl Hayden High School and Nevitt School, during July and August. For the $20,100 in Supreme Court funds, 26,832 youths participated in late night teen sports, The Mobile Partnership Program (a recreation center on wheels), three teen councils, special events and sports tournaments.

Summer School Recreation Program Enhancement

Neighborhoods that have gang problems got a bit of relief when two local schools were kept open for recreation programs. The 829,000 of the court grant enabled the department to extend summer recreation programs for additional weeks at targeted elementary and middle schools. Approximately 4,403 youths ages 6 to 14 participated in the activities.

"It brought the department together for more cohesive services," said Director Colley. "For such a large department our recreation services can sometimes be fragmented. We were able to pilot some new programs such as the Juvenile Curfew Counseling, new teen councils in north Phoenix, and the Midnight Madness program which kept gymnasiums opened until midnight for basketball games and other structured recreation programs. It made the streets of Phoenix safer by giving them some constructive program alternatives," says Colley.

Local police statistics seem to agree with that view. The Phoenix Police Department reported consistent citywide reductions in the number of police calls during the months the extended programs were operating. Comparative crime statistics from police precincts July and August of 1991, 1992 and 1993, show a reduction in crime calls by as much as 52 percent in areas with expanded recreation programming (northeast, central east and northwest) during 1991 and 1993.

Looking at statistics for 1993, it seems that juvenile crime was on the rise again, but we deterred kids from delinquency with the Juvenile Curfew Program. The Juvenile Curfew Program, a year-round joint program of the Phoenix Police and Parks, Recreation and Library departments, requires youths age 15 and younger be off the streets by 10 p.m.; those ages 16 and 17 by midnight. Teens and children found in violation of the curfew are taken to one of the four recreation sites around the city. As much as 60 percent of the police calls in two areas of Phoenix were for curfew violations. While many of these kids are off the streets, they are not committing crimes.

After a youth is picked up, he or she is taken to a recreation center which is staffed by recreation staff and police officers. Each youth goes through a 35-minute police processing that includes notifying the parent or guardian, compiling a criminal history and detecting signs of substance abuse or health problems. Most kids are picked up at the center by parents within 90 minutes. Any youth not picked up by a parent within six hours is turned over to juvenile court.

Staff members act as buffers between youths and authority figures--the police officers. Those who aren't picked up by parents right away have the opportunity to play ping pong, volleyball or basketball," says Walker Knox, recreation coordinator, who oversees the program at the Desert West Multigenerational Center. Most may not be in the mood to play games, but they do have the chance to talk with recreation staff who understand their plights. Some of the part-time recreation staff had been out on the streets and involved in gangs at earlier ages. Thanks to the Arizona Supreme Court grant, the curfew violators are offered the services of a counselor. Many of the kids do accept the help.

The cooperation and collaboration between different governmental agencies has helped Phoenix, and parks and recreation professionals must be a part of it. Observes Jim Colley, "The challenge to the parks and recreation profession is to take the initiative in putting together similar programs to combat juvenile crime and delinquency. While we are not the only solution, parks and recreation is a very valuable part of the chain."