As Governors, we are concerned about juvenile violence and must find ways to combat it. States and communities are implementing innovative strategies to stem the tide of juvenile violence, from parental responsibility laws to prevention and early intervention programs to initiatives that allow the most violent and intractable youth to be tried in adult court. Some methods seem to be working, considering recent press accounts and Government reports on the decline in juvenile violence arrests in 1995. Despite the recent leveling off of juvenile crime rates, we must not lose sight of the fact that the incidence of youth crime and violence is far too prevalent in our communities. Therefore, we must continue to develop efficient and effective programs to prevent and deter young people from committing crimes, and we must find swift and effective methods of sanctioning those who do.
Violent crime tears at the very fabric of civilized society.
It fills citizens with fear, causes them to rearrange their lives, and discourages them from venturing from their homes. Our citizens living in public housing developments, for example, suffer when the entire complex is ravaged by gang violence. Businesses find it difficult, if not impossible, to operate in a climate of violence and intimidation, a climate that makes customers too afraid to shop. Many people leave our inner cities and crime-ridden neighborhoods. Our citizens have a right to be free from the fear of crime, whether in their homes, on the streets, or in any other place in their communities.