TEEN DRUG USE FACTOR IN BREAK INS

Dear Editor:

As I read the article in the Jan. 8 issue of the Western concerning the
recent wave of break ins in our city, I became very upset that I, as a
resident of this city and a parent of teenagers, can see exactly where this
problem stems from.

Absolutely nothing was said about the relationship of drug use to crime in
this article. I am seeing more of it everyday, as the teenagers of this
city are turning to drugs. First off, minors who commit a crime seem to be
given a break; they get a slap on the hand and a little community service
to avoid having a criminal record.

Why not throw the book at them the first time, so they do not walk away
laughing, which is exactly what they do? This article also said this spree
happening now is similar to what we had in spring. I would bet it would be
at about the same time that the drug and alchohol rehab programs are
overflowing with addicts asking for help.

Maybe more residents of this city should pay a visit to the courthouse
Monday mornings and see all the kids waiting for their court time, sitting
around laughing and joking. I know there are technicalities all of us don?t
understand, but each year I see it get worse and wonder where we will be
when some of our younger children reach their teen years.

From what I understand, the teenagers doing these horrid chemical
hallucinogenic drugs are just the little guys; the cops want the big guys.
Well these little guys have to somehow pay for drugs, so they have to beg,
borrow and steal or get the hell beat out of them, while their parents'
homes and lives are slowly destroyed. Families are being torn apart from
this war happening here. Things definitely need to get tough for these
kids; they are laughing at the system over and over again. What are we
teaching them by letting them off the hook so that they won?t have a
criminal record? They know what they are doing and they are doing it well.

C. Johnson

Penticton