Youth Crime Watch in New England:

S.A.V.E./YCW at Knotty Oak Middle School takes on vandalism

Combine a Social Studies Coordinator, Charlie Blanchette - who has a commitment to teaching youth and a passion for honoring our Civil War dead, with a middle school student, Taylor Therrien – who has a deep respect for those who gave their life and the willingness to take a stand against vandalism, and you have the beginnings of youth making a profound difference.

Charlie took 100 students plus teachers to the Knotty Oak Cemetery, taught the kids about the soldiers' contributions, and pointed to the vandalism at the grave sites. Taylor was moved beyond emotion; she was committed to impact what was happening. She approached Charlie and he gave her only one requirement: Enroll 6 other youth in your commitment, willing to work, and I’ll stand beside you and help you make it happen.

The graveyard shift

The first year they were an ad hoc group but quickly began to make a difference. The students flagged about 250 graves and cleaned up the grave sites. One year later, they are part of the RI Attorney General’s "Third Eye" initiative, a recognized site in Youth Crime Watch of America, and the seed of a $20,000/year, 3-year high school project to combat vandalism in Coventry , RI . They call themselves S.A.V.E. (Students Against Vandalism Everywhere)/YCW. Their mission is to stop vandalism and crime and ultimately make the world a better place. They conducted a successful workshop at the 18th National Youth Crime Prevention Conference and International Forum in Denver, Colorado.

Onward and upward

Within its short lifetime, S.A.V.E./YCW has researched the vandalism issue in Coventry and beyond, has researched the RI data base of historical cemeteries, has developed an impressive presentation on stopping vandalism and an informative and attractive website. It has restored and maintained some historic grave sites; delivered their PowerPoint presentation to the RI Attorney General, to the Knotty Oak Middle School faculty and most of the school teams, and to 6 elementary schools; developed mass-produced signs designed to specific audiences; placed signs in schools, fire-departments, and other locations; contacted a veteran via the Boston Globe, who had reported vandalism and then S.A.V.E./YCW customized and sent out a sign for his cause. S.A.V.E./YCW created bookmarks and bumper stickers to help out the town with the growing problem of property destruction. Within the first week that S.A.V.E./YCW passed out these items, a citizen pulled out his bookmark with the police number and reported a vandal.

"What is really amazing is how much power kids really have and what a powerful asset and resource they can be to the community," Blanchette said. "The kids in SAVE are trying to let people know exactly how much money vandalism costs the town and what valuable things can be purchased with that money. These kids start walking the walk and other people get right in line with them."

Taylor Therrien and Ian Casey promoting vandalism prevention at an elementary school assembly.

 

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Visit S.A.V.E. online

www.stopvandalism.org

Mapping project teams students with police

Recognizing the youth’s commitment and accomplishments, the RI Department of Education and Learn and Serve requested Charlie Blanchette submit a proposal for the Geographical Information System Program (GISP). Charlie responded with a state-of-the-art project that combines crime prevention, community service, civic contribution, technology, education, and youth partnering with adults to make a difference. The youth are already planning the approved project. 

The 8 th grade S.A.V.E./YCW students will be attending Coventry High School next year and with training help from the YCWA New England Expansion Center , will start S.A.V.E./YCW at that school. As part of their Social Studies class, the 500 freshman students in Coventry High School will each be given a Global Positioning System (GPS) and digital cameras to take pictures and record longitude and latitude locations with a simple "click".  The students will be trained to use these tools when they see vandalism.  This will greatly help them locate property destruction in Coventry .  With Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, they will be able to pinpoint areas of vandalism and place them on a map.  Each type of vandalism (graffiti, A.T.V. erosion, etc.) will be color coded and will be complete with a picture and thorough description of the area.  By evaluating the GIS map and compiling data from police records of vandalism, they should be able to get an idea of where the vandal is living.  Note: Vandals usually destroy property close to their houses.  Police will then be able to start up investigations from their collected information.  The intent is to decrease the amount of vandalism over the next 3 years.