The Athens Police Department will begin a pilot program Spring Quarter to send letters to the parents of young adults charged with certain crimes, Chief Richard Mayer announced yesterday.
Through the Letters Home Program, the department will send a letter if a student between the ages of 18 and 20 is charged with or arrested for a felony, non-traffic misdemeanor or serious traffic offense, said Mayer, who joined Mayor Ric Abel at his weekly news conference. Fleeing, DUIs and traffic crashes are included among those offenses.
Students 21 and older will receive the letter as a reminder of their charges, he said. Treatment of juvenile offenders under 18 will remain the same with a call to the parent when a juvenile is arrested.
APD is testing the program, which was first considered in 2003, with a goal of increasing young adult compliance with the law. Of most difficulty will be obtaining correct contact information for the student and parents, Abel said.
Mayer said he has given copies of the policy to Ohio University President Roderick McDavis and Student Senate President Brian Footer, from whom he has not received a response.
In other news, Abel reviewed his 2005 Annual Report, which he presented Monday to Athens City Council. The report highlights the most significant activities of the year based on a report from each city department and includes the mayor's expectations for 2006, during which he expects city finances to be a major issue.
Income tax collections had decreased in 2004, forcing changes to budgeting for the general fund and other city funds and prompting a concern that the city would need to lay off employees during 2005. But income tax collections increased by 4.2 percent in 2005, lessening - but not alleviating - budget concerns and helping the city to avoid potential layoffs, Abel reported.
City officials also hope to keep department staffs as full as possible, especially because many departments already suffer from staffing deficiencies, Abel said. He added that the loss of income tax from the closing of the McBee Systems plant and the potential layoff of 93 OU employees could pose extra challenges to the financial crunch.
Abel noted optimistically that the city's comprehensive plan is being reviewed by the Athens Planning Commission and will be presented to council in the next few months. The mayor also said he hopes by then to fill the position of city planner, a spot established by the 2006 budget and staffing ordinance.
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Kantele Franko
