I then argued to city leaders that nothing would change until parents were found guilty of their teenage children’s actions. Over the years, a large number of local grassroots organizations have provided educational and mentoring activities for young people, with a veritable abundance of positive results. However, these now appear to be insufficient. During the era of my command, I often went to murder scenes late at night and midnight. Bystanders often consisted of young children and teenagers without the presence of parents, clergy, or other responsible adults to counter the idea that the perceived aftermath of violence was acceptable.
In my day, illegal drug activity was the causative factor in about 80 percent of homicides. I suspect the current wave is a direct result of teens’ callous disregard for life, aided by the unprecedented availability of deadly weapons, and years of learned inappropriate behavior in our society. It’s time to hold parents accountable, both criminally and civilly.
The writer is a former DC Chief of Detectives.
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