In Ogden, Hispanic youths have accounted for 53.78 percent of juvenile arrests in the first few months of this year. Some Hispanic leaders have expressed skepticism over that number. There is, however, a distressing statistic that may partially explain why arrest rates are so high -- the dropout rate of Hispanics from Utah public schools is consistently higher than other groups. That is also a trend in national school dropout rates.
If we are going to curb the high arrest rates of young Hispanics in Ogden, it needs to be in correlation with keeping more of these youths in school. In Utah, the dropout rate for Hispanics in 2009 was 29 percent, compared to an overall average of 12 percent, according to the Utah State Office of Education. There's even dispute over those numbers. Other education watchdog groups claim fewer Utah students graduate.
One undisputed key to success in school and work is being able to speak English. In homes where English is not the primary language, a resulting failure to stay in school or maintain academic standards harms the skills needed to succeed as an adult or earn a decent wage. The language barrier can be tough for immigrants, but it's not impossible to overcome. Our local schools do a good job of immersing students in English and organizations, such as the United Way and other municipal and community groups, are working hard with families and students to keep kids in school.
In regards to reducing the number of Hispanic youths being arrested in Ogden, Mayor Matthew Godfrey said that one approach to reducing those numbers is to focus on working with families rather than just the offenders. The Marshall White Center is one place where families can get together for activities, clubs and sports, said Godfrey. There's also organizations, such as Youth Impact and city sports leagues, that offer places where at-risk youth can spend quality time off the streets.
Parents need to be enforcers for their children, and not enablers of bad behavior. Making sure parents feel a consequence of their children's bad behavior is important. Ogden's decision to bill costs to the parents of graffiti taggers is a good idea. Zero tolerance for law-breaking and making families, as well as the offender, feel the consequences of bad behavior, is a good step.
Nevertheless, there's a ways to go with this problem. The high dropout and arrest rates of young Hispanics are going to continue unless more students stay in school and more parents and other family members make an effort to keep kids off the streets and out of the gangs.
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