Three keys to put the lock on criminal behavior
Few acknowledge that underage tobacco and alcohol use are criminal behaviors. But Sgt. Bruce Talbot
taught in his Broken Windows presentation last August that the underage use creates a gateway behavior that leads people, particularly teens and young adults, deeper into the criminal life….and away from success.
Among the few are the Community Coalition and the Horizons-Leadership to Reduce Poverty groups of McKenzie County, partners in efforts to curtail behaviors that increase the chance of living in poverty. (Read ‘Rethinking Poverty’ posted by Tim Swenson.)
Mapping Successes for Our Children began with panel presentations March 31 and ended before the group of 60 participants could do the mapping for convincing youth to leave the illegal drugs alone.
On Monday, 18 people followed facilitator Anita Rohde of New Town into a 90-minute session ending successfully with a three-pronged approach to the age-old social problem:
1. Mentoring training, with partnershipsof youth and adults to be trained after the Gatekeepers of Harvey, ND
2. Monitoring and advocating for compliance checks in order to limit access to gateway drugs
3. Sponsor political candidate policy forums and offer alternate refreshments at dry bars. A homemade label on legal refreshments would bear messages supporting the better lifestyle choices for success.
“Parents, young adults and all kids need support to abstain from alcohol and drugs,” says Don Moberg of Watford City, a participant in the Mapping Successes for Our Children II session.