The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-06-05
LACK Of PLAY
f.. SPACE SPURS
YOUTH CRIME
Delinquency Breeding Spots
Found Where ReCreationaI
Ground Is Scarce.
BOYS IN MAJORITY, 81
Districts Adjacent to Willard
Park Are Declared to
Be Worst.

Toe worst districts for juvenile
crime and delinquency in Indian
apoiis are those with few or no
supervised Fairgrounds and where
hoHeos are crowded close together
and children forced into the street
or ON to commons and dumps
This Was brought out by a
juvenile crime survey of the city
completed today by r. Clyde White,
professor Of sociology Of the Indiana
university extension school
p, adoXically. the very worst dis
trict i'm the city is adjacent to VIII
lard park. the most elaborate play
ground in the city. but this is an
indication OF the need for more
supervised recreation, rather than
failure of the willard playground
the survey showed.
Based on Court Data
The survey, made from juvenile
court records and graphed on map
shows the five worst districts to be
either In or fairly close to the busi-
ness district. Boy delinquents out
number girls three to one.
Despite the fact that the worst
sc.uon appears to be adjacent to
Willard park, the other blacklist
spots are IN those neighborhOods
which are not in the immediate
nciehborhood of Fairgrounds.
The districts where youth tangles
oll-nost with law and order are:
No. n. bounded on north by Wash
inct0n street, south by South street,
west by Alabama and east by Shelby
street; No. So, on north by Tenth
street. south by Washington east
by Delaware and west by Missouri
street; No. 76, on north by Wash
ington. south by English avenue,
west by Shelby and east by State
avenue and extending a block east
to Rural between Washington and
the railroad tracks.
Aided by Students
District n and 76 surround or are
adjacent to Willard park.
AiCed by two students in his So
cioloev classes Professor White
checked the Marion county juvenile
court records to ascertain the ad-
dresses of all delinquents for 1928
and by following the school census
figured the average rate of delin-
ouency in all sectors of the city.
In the above districts the de-
nnquency record Is:
District IT. forty-eight children
out of every thousand have commit
ted immoral acts; District Sc. in the
heart Of the city and including the
Monument Circle and Memorial
Plaza. twenty-Seven delinquent chill
dren a thousand: District rs. same
Although District II tops the lis
for housing the city'S bad boys ano
girls the professors map reveals
that in District Sc more girls arr
hailed into court than boys.
RoOming District Cited
Professor White explains this pc
culiarity thus:
In District Sc we have an area
that is largely rooming house il
structural character and 1t in
cludes streets where sex delinquency
is common.
Sex miSbehaviOr brings the ma
jority of girls into court.
In Districts 76 and IT," he added
"the high rates require a differen
explanation. Housing conditions ART
very poor and there are few play
grounds and other recreational ac
tivities within their bonds.
The map shows that IN three sec
tions high in Negro population
delinquency IS common.
The mere fact that they ar,
Negroes does not contribute to way
wardneSS," White said but tn
Negro is forced to live in poore
homes and neighborhoodS wher
play space is scarce.
Points Out Factors
Overcrowding in homes. menta
deficiency, personality disorders
lack OF home discipline and lack o
proper leisure time activities ar
factors contributing to juvenile de
Iinquency. President White asserted
His map is to be used as the basi
for a study to determine the play
ground needs of the various sec
tions OF the city.
Eugene T. Lies Of the Playgroun,
and Recreation Association of Amer
lea has been employed by the Indi
annapolis Foundation through tn
indianapolis Council Of Socia
Agencies to make the complete rec
~oofiOr,a1 ctr~ycV