Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1953-12-31
Crime Reported
Thriving Despite
Youth Facilities
Northeast Section
Committee Is Told
Why Aids Fail

the juvenile crime rate there is
one of the city's highest. al
though the area is well supplied
with facilities for its prevention.
The area committee pilot
project of the Commissioners
Youth Council-heard this re-
port by a United Community
Services official yesterday at it's
first meeting on methods for
curbing delinquency on a neigh
borhood level.
Paul r. Cheney, executive
secretary of the uses Family
and Child Welfare Section, said.
ut would appear that this
neighborhood is well served and
the problem of delinquency
should be well under control.
Obviously, this is not the case"
Near Top in Arrests.
Mr.. Cheney, who is on loan
to the group on a part-time
basis, said the area had the
second highest number of juve-
nile arrests last year of the Is
similar areas laid out by the
Youth Council.
And. he said. by New Years
Eve the ninth police precinct
blotter will show $50 juvenile ar
rests as compared to 518 last
year. Mr.. Cheney pointed out
that the area-called Area P
takes in 70 per cent of the popu-
lation within the precinct.
He said that in Area p there
are IS churches and one syna-
gogue, 10 public and two paro-
chial schools, eight public rec
reation centers and several pri-
vate youth programs, and several
welfare agencies providing fam
lily and child care services.
Lists Reasons.
Mr.. Cheney said juvenile de-
linquency was not being curbed
despite these facilities because:
l.. Church programs have lit
tie appeal for youngsters and
many churches have given up
programs because their old con-
gregations have moved away.
2. Elementary schools do not
have the stats to deal with fam
lily problems and apparently
cannot get sufficient help from
welfare agencies.
3. Most welfare agency service
to families is brief financial aid.
4. Recreational services are
reaching only a small proper
ton of delinquent children be-
cause these youngsters tend to
avoid supervised recreation !
Mr.. Cheney said about two
thirds of the juvenile crimes
committed in the area this year
were larcenies - ranging from
shop-lifting to armed robbery.
The worst trouble spots, he de-
clared' are back of Union Sta
ton, around Lincoln Park and
the Rosedale Playground.
Youthful Fagins.
During his study of the area,
Mr.. Cheney said he learned that
some of the shop-lifting is done
by younger children who have
been organized by the older
boys.
According to reports" he told
the committee, these latter-day
FaginS are known as witch
doctors and their artful dodgers
are called The Rats. The
older boys do not steal and
seldom get caught. he added.
Mr.. Cheney told the group
that, unfortunately, the boy
gained prestige after an appear
ance in Juvenile Court and re-
turned "a hero" if sent to the
Industrial Home School at Blue
Plains.
The committee named q five
member group to draw up sug-
gestions on the best method of
procedure for a grass-roots drive
on delinquency.
Would Concentrate Attack.
Most of 10 members of the
committee appeared to feel that
the group should first concen-
trate on a small area before at
tempting any long-range studies
or projects.
The five-member committee,
headed by Robert F. Brooks,
president of the Congress of
PTA'S, Division II, will report
back to the full group at its next
meeting January 20. The second
meeting will also be held in the
Christ Child House. 608 Massa-
chusettS avenue NE.
The Youth Council hopes to
set up similar committees for all
of the 26 areas. The old North
east area group is to be the dem
onstration project.