- Kids
pull most residential, business
break-ins
- Burglaries
up in Sunnyside '97 to '98
- SUNNYSIDE (Monday
3-15-99)---Chief Wallace Anderson told the City
Council tonight that crime was generally down 9%
between 1997 and 1998, but juvenile referrals were up
8%.
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- Anderson said his
department referred 305 juveniles for all crimes to
the Yakima County Juvenile Authority last year.
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- He said that,
while kids commit roughly 10% of all local violent
crimes, they commit most property crimes.
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- Burglaries are
their favorites. A few young bandits--cops know who
they are--repeatedly break into Sunnyside homes and
businesses and take what they want. They're caught,
they turn-style through Juvie (anonymously as far as
the public is concerned), and then they're back on the
streets. Most burglaries are committed by kids ages
14-16, Anderson said.
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- Between 1997 and
1998, burglaries of Sunnyside businesses spiked from
four to 20 incidents; residential burglaries from six
to 22. Burgled goods need to be fenced to get cash,
and fencing takes some organization and networking,
however, this wasn't
discussed.
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- The chief also
reported his department began a new policy this year
regarding juveniles' possession and consumption of
alcohol.
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- "We used to take
the alcohol products away and let the kids go. Now we
ask mom and dad to come down and sign some papers,"
Anderson said. He said juvenile alcohol arrests were
up from 34 in 1997 to 95 in 1998, marking a "180%
increase" in this category.
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- Anderson said
that, by state statute, all juveniles are processed
through the Juvenile Authority. Kids are then referred
to the Community Accountability Board or sent to
juvenile detention.
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- Anderson praised
the county's Juvenile Authority for its work. He said
county judges and police chiefs met four years ago to
set up protocols for handling kids. They decided,
among other things, that if the kid is packing a gun
during his heist, he should get
detention.
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- "By federal
statute, we can't hold a juvenile over six hours,"
Anderson said. "After that, he has to be released to
his legal guardian or get detention." The Authority
runs a 94-bed detention center in
Yakima.
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- On hand to
discuss juveniles with the Council was Audry Fetters,
director of the Yakima County Juvenile Justice
Dept.
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- She said most
people don't understand that her department has
exclusive jurisdiction over all Yakima County kids
from age 0 to 18. The organization--created in the
70s--is responsible for kids' detention, probation,
and rehabilitation, and in some cases "habilitation".
Kids may be truants, "at-risk", abused, and neglected,
Fetters explained.
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- "We are guardians
for kids who are abused and neglected and who, through
no fault of their
own, become involved with the
courts," she said. She indicated a major Juvie goal is
to keep kids from re-offending and turning as adults
into habitual criminals.
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- While the
Authority has 94 beds, Fetters said they "don't like
to fill them up".
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- There's
"insufficient staff" to handle 94 juvenile thieves,
burglars, robbers, rapists, and assault suspects who
may be inside for packing a gun during their youthful
activities.
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- "It's not safe,"
Fetters said. She quickly added that "It's not our
goal to warehouse kids."
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- Mayor Ed Prilucik
told Fetters after her presentation that "This
community appreciates your efforts."
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- A new local
program will be initiated April 1 for misunderstood
youth who are flushed back into society from Juvie.
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- Chief Anderson
said Sunnyside will get a grant to hire Dave Martinez,
Yakima County juvenile probation officer. He will
devote six hours a week to monitor juveniles who are
on curfew, or on court restrictions as to where they
can go in town and who they can
visit.
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- "(Martinez) will
knock on doors and check with mom and dad. We think
this will reduce multiple referrals of juveniles. It's
do-able," Anderson told the City Council.
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- In other
business, the Council:
- Authorized city
staff to proceed with the planting of about 100 trees
along the Sunnyside-to-Prosser bike path between
Edison St. and Factory Road. The project originally
was set to plant 350 all the way to Waneta, but costs
were higher than expected. Money for the project will
come from $10,000 in the arterial street fund. Target
date for planting is April 10. Call the city if you'd
like to volunteer to help with
planting.
- Acknowledged Mike
and Elvie Mendoza on Saul Road, and John and Michelle
Booth, Thompson Drive, as award winners for home
beautification in Sunnyside. Sun Terrace, 907 Ida
Belle St., won the business beautification award.
Presentations were made by Benjie Aguilar of the
town's Beautification
Committee.
- Slated formal
sanction of the city's curb-and-sidewalk cement grants
for next meeting.
- Approved Spink
Engineering to install a sewer line to the
newly-annexed C.Speck Motors and nearby businesses.
The Council specified the $300,000 project price will
be paid from the city's water and sewer fund rather
than its general fund.
- Held off until
their next regular meeting a decision on a
professional services contract with Anderson
Engineering during 1999.
- Approved renewal
of a 10-year, $100-a-year, lease contract with
Butterfield Broadcasting Co. for city land upon which
KREW's big broadcasting transmission antenna is
located west of town.
- Slated several
items for the March 29 workshop agenda--hiring the
property code facilitator and associated enforcement
issues; they'll hear a presentation from the U.S.
Border Patrol's Bob Wilson; and discuss city
engineering services for
1999.
- Since March
contains five Mondays, the Council won't meet next
Monday, March 22.
- Chief Anderson
said he's discussing an interlocal jail agreement with
Police Chief Mike Noski, West Richland, allowing
Sunnyside to house West Richland's prisoners as space
is available. Sunnyside has several such agreements
with nearby towns, which pay for the
service.
- Noted that
Sunnyside's Fire Dept. has slipped from a "4" to a "6"
position as a fire-fighting group, according to Jeff
Zechlin, of a state fire-department auditing outfit.
The city is contesting Zechlin's ruling, according to
staff.
- Approved a parade
permit for the annual Palm Sunday Procession as
requested by St. Joseph's Church. The parade will take
place between noon and 1:30 p.m. Sunday, March 28. It
will proceed from Sunnyside High School west on Edison
Ave. to Sixth St., then south on Sixth to the
Church.
- Approved liquor
licenses for Dairy Fair, 400 Alexander Rd.; E. Edison
Food & Deli, 1520 E. Edison; Park-N-Pak, 905
Lincoln Ave.; Sunnyside Market, 701 S. 6th St., and
Tillicum Restaurant & Sundance Lounge, 410 Yakima
Valley Highway.
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