Denmark: juvenile crime

In this example, the euphemism is only in the title

Deputy mayor: give us more money to fight juvenile crime

A city councillor is demanding more funds for programs targeted at stopping juvenile crime

A co-operative project between schools, social services and police (SSP) has helped to curb criminal tendencies for teens from immigrant families, according to Copenhagen's deputy mayor for integration, Jakob Hougaard.

Hougaard wants more public funds channelled into the project.

'The co-operation shows that we can, in fact, reach criminals and children in danger of slipping into criminality through efforts on the streets. There needs to be more of it. On top of the integration package, I want to put a further two million kroner towards things such as parent contracts, a strengthened SSP and volunteer corps,' said Hougaard.

Figures show that in the first seven months of this year, teens with immigrant backgrounds have appeared before the city courts 38 percent less frequently than the same period last year.

'It looks as if now there's a path to dialogue,' said Peter Schlüter, the Conservatives' representative on the city's employment and integration council.

But not everyone is convinced yet that the project is working. Manu Sareen, one of two Social Liberals on the council, thinks SSP has been a good thing, but that there hasn't been enough time to properly evaluate its affects.

Sareen said that city figures showing a drop in immigrant juvenile crime are merely consistent with those of the entire country.

'We already have a lot of people working on the streets as it is. It's completely hopeless to just throw more money at the project. You have to look at many other factors as well.'

Sareen's scepticism seems to have a basis. A Rambøll study completed last winter found that that Copenhagen does not have 'systematic control and evaluation of the integration projects that are implemented'.

The study added that 'there is no stringent monitoring and control of the broader integration effort'.

Source: Jyllands-Posten (English)