Juvenile delinquency (1955)

JUVENILE DELINQUENCY 55 ThP alliance between the police and hot rodders has caused the young drivers ^n a vJ^lTlaid S;\?i.n.perly supervised drag strip. The hot rodder is no longer a iirnhipm in Pomona—he is i»art of a program. ^ ^ . * ti;„v» ^ T^^riiinualstatistical report in the State of California Department of High- ^vav Patrol di^fosed that/since 1U50 there has been ';>PProxim^^itey 10 percent increase in accidents each year involving drivers under the age ot 20. Duung the ^ameper^d in Pomona we have decreased accidents in^x,lving those "n<.^f ' ;» ^y qCercent "Operation Dragstrip," deserves most of the credit for tl»s record of'whfch-ourXartment is'mighty proud. It ^^^l^rTZZTi^^ttr^Si it is realized that Pomona's population m the 19u2-53 peiiod has lucieasea ''''Snf que.stTon that has been asked by numerous law enforcement agencies considering the use of a hot-rod program in their respective communities is "whSare^he future possibilities of a program of this type in relation to traffic ^""Thrfuture of such a program depends entirely upon the way the activities of tSLfclubs are conducted'in the future. In -d--to i^asure prop^^^ of these clubs, there must be proper supervision and organization. Ihis super V sion if carried out bv the police on a friendly basis, can serve as the means oSuHng i we 1-regulated program. If the youthful driver of today is trained properly in his driving habits during the early part of his driving career, and members of law enfoi-cement are participating in his education, then there is !r good chance that his future driving habits will be better regulated, and thus, o-uarantee a safer traffic future for his community. » v, „ " If the vouth of today can be taught safety now through the use of such a program, "as the supervised hot-rod program, then drivers of tomoriw will not be as accident prone as the drivers of today are. Not only will many lives be saved but insurance rates will be decreased, both which society is interested in Gaining the cooperation of the hot-rodder in today's traffic safety program is tomorrow's insurance for greater safety on our highways. With this Program not only has law enforcement succeeded in suppressing traffic problems, but the close relationship formed between young people and the police will serve as a deterrent to juvenile delinquency in other respects. And so, if the old adage, "There is so much good m the worst of us and so much bad in the best of us," is true, it behooves us, the law enforcement agencies, through our planned prevention programs to try and bring out and accentuate the good and to control and correct the bad. If we find, through the use of some type of program, we have successfully converted a troublesome element into a cooperative and law abiding segment of society, then we, as members of law enforcement, are doing our job. ■, .,. i, i. /i/i i oo If you have the same problem in your community and the hot-rouder naa exhausted your patience, scared your citizens, and "raised Cain" in general, why don't you trv to join them and by leadership and enthusiasm guide them along accepted channels without throttling the spirit that has made America the great nation that she is. Chairman Kefau^t:r. "VVlio is our next witness, Mr. Bobo ? Mr. Bobo. Mr. Eugene Breitenbach. STATEMENT OF EUGENE BEEITENBACH, MEMBER, CALIFORNIA YOUTH AUTHORITY Chairman KEFAmTi:R. All right, Mr. Breitenbach. Mr. Bobo, will you ask Mr. Breitenbach some preliminary questions ? Mr. Bobo. Mr. Breitenbach, you are with the California louth Mn Brmtenbach. I am a member of the California Youth Author- ^^"j^irBoBO. You are a member of the board of the California Youth Authority? Mr. Breitenbach. That is correct, sir.