| Community Budget Issue Requests - Tracking Id #712 | |||||||||
| Cape Coral Youth Crime Intervention Program | |||||||||
| Requester: | City of Cape Coral Police Department | Organization: | Cape Coral Youth Crime Intervention Program | ||||||
| Project Title: | Cape Coral Youth Crime Intervention Program | Date Submitted | 1/13/2003 9:24:15 AM | ||||||
| Sponsors: | Kottkamp | ||||||||
| Statewide Interest: | |||||||||
| The program addresses the state's interest in reducing juvenile deliquency and substance abuse by providing a positive environment for youth development by offering alternative educational and social activities, by partnering with community truancy and dropout prevention programs and by working with law enforcement to reduce juvenile recidivism. The need for a youth center to provide structured recreational and social opportunities for area youth was identified throught town hall discussions and documented increases in juvenile crime. Juveniles in contact with law enforcement are in range of 2-3% of the 8-19 year old population. This number is also consistent with school board statistics of high school drop out rates. A large percentage of these children are involved with substance abuse and have experienced and/or witnessed on-going domestic violence and family management issues within their homes. The need for a Youth Center to provide alternative developmental enviroments for these children was first identified as a priority need in 1995 5 year Strategic Plan for the City of Cape Coral. It currently is listed as a highest priority need in the City Plan. The need for these services has been further documented by Lee County in its Comprehensive Plan for Chronic, Violent, Juvenile Offenders throughout the six years the project has been in existence. Additionally, the need for the Youth Center has been identified by the Youth Advisory Boards of the Comprehensive Strategy and the Cape Coral Youth Crime Intervention Center, as the number one need of adolescents in Lee County. The Youth Advisory Board of the Cape Coral Youth Crime Intervention Center has taken a proactive role by advising the Board of Directors on topics ranging from what programs will attract youth to appearing before the City Council to voice concerns of pending council actions. It is their position that most area youth become involved with alcohol and drugs because they are readily available and there is little to do during leisure time. The Governor's Office, the Legislature, and the Department of Juvenile Justice have all been identified the welfare and education of Florida's Children to be one of the State's highest priorities. The need for substance abuse prevention and early intervention is a fundental component of the FLorida Drug Control Strategy. The State has identified drug use as the mojor contributor to juvenile highest costs. Professionals that volunteer and work at the youth center underwrite the State's realization, educational, educational and work incentives, emotional support for victim's of domestic/community violence, mentoring and directing social acclimation among program participants. The Center's programs attempt to reclaim those young people overwhelemed by the circumstances of their everyday lives. Every child we reach through the youth center is one less child the state must specifically target those children in contact with law enforcement and the court system. Our programs are evaluated by comparing annual juvenile juvenile crime statistics and by mentoring the number of new contracts and repeat offenders among Center's membership. To ensure services are being offered that attract the participation of at-risk individuals, the youth advisory board is given the opportunity to critique new progrmas and offer constructive criticism and advice. By providing the Youth Center the ability to hire professional staff and the providing impetus for high profile focus on the project, the State Appropriation of $50,000 last year enabled the Board of Directors to continue staffing and program development to proceed according to our 3 year development plan. The addition of staff provided an increase in annual participation from 738 contracts in 2001-2002 to 1879 in 2001-2002. | |||||||||
| Recipient: | Cape Coral Youth Crime Intervention Program | Contact: | Cindy Dennison | ||||||
| 1333-B Lafayette Street | Contact Phone: | (239) 574-0675 | |||||||
| Cape Coral 33904 | |||||||||
| Counties: | Lee | ||||||||
| Gov't Entity: | Private Organization (Profit/Not for Profit): | Yes | |||||||
| Project Description: | |||||||||
| The purpose of this project is the centralized delivery of a comprehensive community prevention and early intervention youth services program. This program strives to deliver services through the formation of partnerships with community agencies and organizations to maximize the community's resources in addressing the issues of children and families at risk for anti-social and/or criminal behavior. It encourages the creation of an environment that fosters opportunities for youth to maximize their self esteem, discover their potential and develop healthy lifestyles through social interaction with peers, role model and mentors, by providing consistent access to healthy supervised leisure time pursuits. The services provided by this program are available to all youth in Lee County and their families, but are specifically intended to assist those young adults that have come to the attention of law enforcement or the court system. Services and funding are provided on an on-going basis by community youth oriented organizations, agencies, city and county government departments and businesses, appropriate city and county government departments and supplemental resources as available. | |||||||||
| Is this a water project as described in Chapter 2002-291, Laws of Florida? | No | ||||||||
| Measurable Outcome Anticipated: | |||||||||
| Reduction in 1st and 2nd arrests of juvenile offenders amoung members | |||||||||
| Amount requested from the State for this project this year: | $50,000 | ||||||||
| Identify item(s) in the FY 2003-04 Appropriations Bill to be reduced: | |||||||||
| Specific Appropriation #: | |||||||||
| Specific Appropriation Title: | |||||||||
| Amount to be reduced: | $ | ||||||||
| Total cost of the project: | $145,000 | ||||||||
| Request has been made to fund: | Operations | ||||||||
| What type of match exists for this project? | Private | ||||||||
| Cash Amount | $137,000 | In-kind Amount | $8,000 | ||||||
| Was this project previously funded by the state? | Yes | Fiscal Year: | 2002-2003 | Amount: | $50,000 | ||||
| Is future-year funding likely to be requested? | Unknown | ||||||||
| Was this project included in an Agency's Budget Request? | No | ||||||||
| Was this project included in the Governor's Recommended Budget? | No | ||||||||
| Is there a documented need for this project? | Yes | ||||||||
| Documentation: | The need for a Youth center has been identified in the Comprehensive Plan for Chronic Violent Juveni | ||||||||
| Was this project request heard before a publicly noticed meeting of a body of elected officials (municipal, county, or state)? | Yes | ||||||||
| Hearing Body: | Lee County Legislative Delegation | ||||||||
| Hearing Meeting Date: | 12/12/2001 | ||||||||