Bee Editorial
Youth delinquency on the rise in town
School is out and youth activity complaints have increased in the Amherst police blotter. If the youths in Amherst need something better to do than throw beer bottles at cars and eggs at houses or drink alcohol, I'm sure we can come up with something.

Just some examples: pick up the garbage that litters many parking lots, volunteer at an assisted living facility that is seeking help, or join a summer program. The Town Recreation Department released a booklet full of them. Find something productive to do that doesn't involve sitting in a parking lot.

Each report in the blotter is evidence of boredom and immaturity. Ringing doorbells and running off, skateboarding in business parking lots and refusing to move out of roadways for vehicles are all efforts to be annoying.

In a poll taken on The Amherst Bee Web site the majority of readers said they haven't been disturbed. But the Amherst police stated that each year, the same trend occurs the first few weeks after school lets out. Teens stay out later, have fewer responsibilities and thus get into trouble.

The first place you have to look is to the parents or guardians. Why are these teens out late at night wandering the streets?

Put aside the fact that they may be causing damage or bothering neighbors; their own safety is at risk. The way the world is today you never know who is driving through town and could harm the teens. It is simply not safe for them to be walking around at night.

Underage drinking may seem "cool" to those taking part, but it takes just one party for a teen to overdue it and suffer alcohol poisoning. At 16, or even younger, do teens know how much their bodies can handle? Do their friends know what to do or realize it when a friend has had too much? These kids are just learning how to drive, and impaired by alcohol, they are creating a very real, deadly situation.

Police reports of underage drinking parties, and 30 youths fighting in a parking lot are not just nuisance calls, they are signs of danger and a problem in the town.

What happened to curfews, requiring a child to check in with their parents or having respect for their neighbor's property? If they enjoy walking around - sign up for a charity walk, and if they enjoy spray painting - join an art class. For those teens who have a desire to throw eggs, think of joining a cooking class - or baseball.

We are not trying to make light of the situation, but to get parents to realize their children are affecting other residents, the police, private property and themselves.