The two men arrested Tuesday night on drug charges at a Sharon High basketball game, if found guilty, could very well join the ranks of “World’s Dumbest Criminals.”
After all, they went to a big rivalry game between Sharon and Farrell, allegedly carrying a good amount of marijuana and crack cocaine. The game was heavily staffed by Sharon and Southwest Mercer County Regional police to deter any possible incidents.
On top of that, another young man was arrested at the game for his alleged involvement in a fight between reported members of local gangs at the earlier Sharon game at Farrell.
The first bust is an example of how brazen and widespread the criminal element has become when it comes to selling drugs. The two men gave Warren, Ohio addresses.
The second arrest shows how cocky some of the thugs have become, to show up at a game even though they were being sought for a fight at an earlier game.
Kudos to police as well as Sharon school officials for their constant vigilance at protecting citizens. But this criminal activity can happen anywhere at any time.
This was the point made by Mercer County Common Pleas Court President Judge Francis J. Fornelli in a front page article in The Herald on Friday, citing the importance of the county being designated as a site for the nationwide Communities That Care Initiative. The county’s CTC program was awarded a grant of $36,825 to study the county's crime problems and find solutions.
Judge Fornelli stressed: “Society is much more violence-prone. Drugs are so much more acceptable than they were a decade ago. We’ve got gang activity. There has been further deterioration of the family unit.”
The drug bust and gang fight that has led to five arrests are just tips of the iceberg when it comes to crime, however. There have been shootings and deaths over domestic problems or robberies during drug buys.
While the grant for the Communities That Care Initiative isn’t a lot of money, it may spark some possible approaches to help curb local violence and drug activity.
According to surveys the last two years, there are three problems that have been identified as hurting kids: neighborhood detachment, family management and early and persistent anti-social behavior.
If county agencies and our communities can help attack those three problems, perhaps there can be some turnaround.
While police and school officials continue to do their jobs to help keep juveniles on the right path, more than ever the phrase “It takes a village to raise a child” comes into play.
People need to join in the Communities That Care Initiative and help drive out gangs and drug dealers, while teaching young people how to become productive members of society when they reach adulthood.
Opinion
OUR VIEW: Caring is key to building a better community here
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