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COUNTY JUDGE CONDEMNS MEDIA VIOLENCE

By Ray King/OF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF
Thursday, May 8, 2008 9:58 AM CDT

Jefferson County Judge Mike Holcomb on Wednesday condemned violence portrayed in movies, television, and especially video games, saying they are “endangering our kids.”

Speaking at the monthly “Coffee with the Chief” sponsored by Weed and Seed, Holcomb described video games such as the highly popular Grand Theft Auto as “killing simulators.

“It used to be get the bad guys, but now the focus is on getting the good guys,” he said. “In fact, and I know this will make you law enforcement officers in the room real happy, there’s a new video where kids get rewarded for killing cops.”

Citing statistics which indicated that there were 48 school-related violent deaths in 2004, Holcomb said parents “used to feel secure sending their kids to school, but the schools now are not the sanctuaries they once were.

“What we put in our kids today comes out in the workplace tomorrow and any school, any workplace can be the scene of a disaster,” he added, noting that studies have shown an average child spends 45 hours each week watching television and playing video games.

In his remarks, Pine Bluff Police Chief John Howell said he learned recently that a number of Neighborhood Watch groups have complained that “the police have not been showing up when they’re called.

“I was not aware of these complaints and I monitor the radio traffic and know we’re getting calls, and we’re responding,” Howell said. “If we’re not doing what we’re supposed to be doing, I want you to let me know.”

On another subject, Howell said he has received calls about a number of juveniles roaming the streets, although there is a juvenile curfew that was adopted by an ordinance of the City Council.

“There have been instances where officers have checked the IDs of juveniles but the law says we can’t cite the juvenile, we can only cite the parent and that creates big problems if there is no parent and the kids are living on the street,” Howell said.

The chief said a possible solution could involve changing the ordinance, and allowing officers to cite juveniles who are found to be in violation of the curfew.

The Rev. Jesse Turner, coordinator of the Weed and Seed program, noted that incidents of criminal activity in the Central Park area are down.

Turner said homicides in the area declined 100 percent in the first three months of 2008, compared to 2007, business and residential burglaries are down, and drug arrests are up.

“There are some positive things happening in the Central Park Weed and Seed area,” Turner said.

The monthly Weed and Seed Commendation Award was presented to Rhonda Glover, a civilian employee of the police department, who created a program that allows police to rapidly track crime statistics in the Central Park area so those can be reported to federal authorities, who provide funding for the program.

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