Predators-in-Training

Printed on: Thu, Aug 16, 2007

Where are the parents?

By Kelvin Wade

It's easy to be jaded by crime in Fairfield. We're used to shootings, robberies or parties that get out of hand and spill out into the street. But this week's crime stories take the cake and tie into a recent theme in this column: the lack of good parenting.

In the first incident on Sunday, an 11- and 13-year-old allegedly attempted to rob a couple walking on the Linear Trail through the Suisun-Fairfield Cemetery. The 11-year-old reportedly punched the couple's 7-month-old child in the head.

In the second, on Tuesday, a 12-year-old allegedly stabbed a 15-year-old after a dispute over the soda machine at a fast food restaurant on North Texas Street. The 15-year-old and three cohorts, two 14-year-olds and an 11-year-old, chased the 12-year-old and purportedly stabbed him until the attack was interrupted by a karate instructor.

What these young predators-in-training don't understand is the risk they're taking with their thuggish behavior. In the first incident, the father fought off the two young attackers. Attacking someone's child awakens something primal in a parent. Those ignorant boys are lucky they escaped with their lives.

In the second incident, after being threatened by the group of boys, the karate instructor was prepared to use lethal force against his knife-wielding attacker.

What happens when they pull their knives on someone with a gun?

The surprising common link between the two incidents is one of the boys in the restaurant altercation is the 11-year-old who allegedly struck the baby.

Do you mean to tell me that a kid can attempt to rob people, hit a baby and be back ready to raise hell 48 hours later? What kind of revolving door justice is this?

What parents are letting their children hang out with this kid?

What is going on in this community? Where are the parents of these boys? What circumstances can 11- and 13-year-old boys be raised in where they think it's OK to rob people and strike a baby? Who are these kids who choose to solve petty disputes with knives? Why are they carrying knives? What kind of environment are their parents providing? Is there a father in the house?

The mother of the 15-year-old reportedly said that the last time she saws her kids they were playing at a nearby motel where a friend lived. Is it too much to ask for parents to know where their kids are?

So what are we to do as a community?

For those who are running for City Council and talking about bringing in new businesses to help fight crime, there's not a business you can bring into this community that will deal with pint-sized thugs like this. With school starting, we need strong truancy, curfew and probation enforcement. We also need Police Chief Rainey's Police Activities League and the Boys and Girls Club.

Let's face it, in cases like this we're talking about parenting. We're talking about extended family stepping in to help right the crooked path of these young kids. We've got to nip Fairfield's future predators in the bud. Peace.

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NOTES on the column: How the hell do you punch a baby? When I first read that story, I had to keep rereading it. How do you get to that point that you'd do something like that at such an early age? What is that 11 year old boy's life like?

I don't have a child. But if someone were to punch Kawika, I'm beating the dog crap out of them. And if Vika was a baby at the time, it just makes me blood boil to think about it.

It's bad enough having to worry about adult criminals on the streets without having to fear pre-teens. Knife wielding pre-teens ready to take someone's life over a soda. What kind of values system is that? I don't want to be killed over some bullshit. And I don't want to have to break a teenager's neck over some bullshit.

I'm hard on parents. And I know that can get me into trouble because I'm not one. I'm not a parent because I realize how big a job it is. Your time, your life is no longer your own when you have a child. Or at least that's how I feel about it. You have to be ready and dedicated to making that child grow up educated, disciplined, healthy and happy. It's a tall order. And everyong is going to make mistakes. I get that. But that's why it's so important to instill the proper values like respect, understanding, sharing and coping skills when they're young. It's so important to know your child, to know their friends and to know where they are. That's for their own well being and safety.

With laws like the felony murder rule and such, parents shouldn't let their teenage sons and daughters hang out with criminals. If they're with criminals when they commit a crime, then your child will be charged with that crime. It's not worth the risk.

You've got to stop these punks when they're kids. Some of them can be put on the right path. There are plenty of success stories about people who were going down the wrong path who had a teacher, a probation officer, a clergyman, a mother, a father...someone stepped in and helped them get it together. The sad part is we can't save every child. Some of them are too far gone. Some of them will grow up to occupy a cell at San Quentin. Some of them will prey on society. But we've gotta try.