Friday, July 25, 2008

Looking past the crime stats

A significant percentage of newly arrived families in the Valley are near the poverty line.


David Holmes is Executive Director of Lee Pesky Learning Center

By David Holmes

The Express's July 11 editorial highlighted the 27 percent rise in the 2007 Blaine County crime rate. The numbers indicate that the overwhelming majority of transgressions were committed by citizens of the immediate area. This means that our crime rate is first and foremost a local problem, not a matter of "outsiders" coming in and doing bad things.

The short-term explanation of crime revolves around criminal motivation and opportunity. The long-term explanation, however, revolves around habits, values and life trajectory. This is the hazier side of criminal behavior but, in my view, the most important. The fundamental idea is to prevent crime before it becomes a realistic possibility. Prevention means producing citizens who are committed to a life that is lawful and constructive.

Crime and its prevention must be seen in the context of fundamental changes that are overtaking the Wood River Valley. For all of our unparalleled assets, our community faces daunting challenges.

First, our local economy requires a labor force to support our resort-related industries. As a result, the number of low- and middle-income citizens has grown to meet the economic need. Also, there has been a rapid growth in the number of Hispanic residents seeking a secure existence for their families, a pattern similar to other parts of Idaho and the West. A significant percentage of newly arrived families in the Valley are near the poverty line, lack educational degrees, and struggle to keep their children on a positive track.

Second, the high cost of living in the WR Valley is a daunting challenge for low and middle income families. The financial squeeze for families is reflected in a median household income of $55,000. This figure does not tell the full story because approximately 32% of households make $35,000 or less, and about 10 % make less than $15,000.

Third, the Blaine County School District reflects demographic changes that are occurring across the West. Hispanics, for example, represent 30% of enrollment, and this figure will grow to over 50% in the next several years. Hailey's Woodside Elementary, for example, has a 60% Hispanic enrollment and a high number of low-income families.

There is an urgent need to act now to provide a secure and hopeful future for all residents and, in so doing, prevent social ills, such as crime, that undermine our vision of a great community.

The promise of our nation is that every citizen has the opportunity to attain a piece of the American dream. More than anything else, education is the avenue of hope and possibility. If prevention is important, education is the primary vehicle.

Fortunately, much is happening that bodes well for the education of our youth. For example, the Blaine County school district has just completed a strategic plan that sets forth crucial steps over the next few years, and the new YMCA is attracting youth across the socioeconomic spectrum and collaborating with local schools on numerous programs.

Lee Pesky Learning Center, in concert with local partners, is implementing initiatives to support the educational success of youth who are at risk of educational failure by (1) opening clinics at the Community Campus and the YMCA and working on-site with students at Bellevue and Woodside elementary schools to help those with learning disabilities and other learning challenges; (2) inaugurating a College Aspirations Program at Wood River High School and Bellevue Elementary designed to raise educational aspirations and assure that 100% of the "Scholars" attend college, and; (3) fostering early literacy education among children in child care by providing a series of live and on-line workshops for child care staff.

It takes a certain kind of wisdom to invest now in an unknown future. Preventive measures, such as those mentioned above, are the best guarantee that the Wood River Valley will be a good place to live in the years ahead. It will require, however, a shared understanding of what must be done and a commitment to make it happen. If there is any community in America that can make such a commitment, it is ours.




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