VOP Front Porch Diaries

Richard Aylor

Roanoke Team

One of the biggest concerns people had in the Roanoke area this summer were youth issues.  Teenagers and children do not have enough to do in the community and most feel that this causes crime. The crime rate is higher in the parts of Roanoke where young people have no activities.  Unfortunately, it seems as if the city is lacking behind on youth issues.   Young people are too important to society for the city to be neglecting them. 

My team brought this issue up with Delegate Onzlee Ware when we met with him on July 14th.  I was surprised to learn that Delegate Onzlee Ware works to bring revenue into the city but does not control how the money is spent.  He also told us that the city builds the recreation buildings for the youth to use, but they let private groups decide how to use the facilities.  This method does not seem to be working because teenagers still do not have enough to do.  This is especially true in certain neighborhoods.  The city needs to be more involved with today’s youth because they are the future.  Just think of how much the crime rate could drop if the youth had more to do.  Hopefully the findings will pressure the city to address this problem and take action.