The document has been extremely well received by the public. Thirty percent of the families are classified as low income and another 30 percent are from moderate income families. Further exacerbating this problem is Newark's substantial proportion of youth. Persons under 18 years of age represent over 35 percent of the total population of Newark. This is significantly higher than the county-wide figure of 25 percent.
All sources continue to indicate that youth are over-represented as victims of crime.
The staffing is provided by the Recreation Department and is supplemented by the Public Safety Department, as well as school personnel. We have served over 3,500 Newark children in grades K-6 during the first three months of the program. One of the most pressing problems confronting our society concerns the increase in youth-related crime. The forum was especially important in getting the message to parents that the support and involvement of all segments of our community are needed to make sure Newark continues to be a wonderful place to live, work and play. The forum has served as a springboard for future broad community involvement.