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The Prevent Delinquency Project is a group of dedicated volunteers who subscribe to one simple notion - that the majority of juvenile delinquency cases are preventable, through the implementation of proactive parenting techniques. Unfortunately, many parents, despite being well-intentioned, don't adequately supervise and guide their children towards leading healthy, happy, and productive lives. And those that do, often lack an understanding of the threats their children face until it is too late. The goal of the Prevent Delinquency Project is to assist parents in improving their knowledge in each of these areas, so that they will be in a better position to safeguard their children from harm, and intervene at the first sign that trouble exists.
Some parents express discomfort with the idea of monitoring what their kids are up to. We ask them to consider the following: After September 11, 2001, few would argue against the merits of non-invasive intelligence programs, carefully constructed to protect civil liberties, in gathering information necessary to identify our enemies and safeguard us against outside forces. After all, we were, and continue to be, under the threat of constant attack, on our own soil and abroad. In a smaller and more personal sense, so are our families. Gangs, drugs, reckless sexual practices, and violence have taken footholds in our communities and represent increasing threats to the health and safety of our children. Is it wrong to educate ourselves, identify what may harm our kids, and take proactive measures to protect them?
The present juvenile justice system supports this level of intervention. By far the most common court-ordered disposition in delinquency matters is probation supervision. Few cases warrant the removal of children from the community and placement in more restrictive settings. The majority of wayward youth can be turned around and put back on track with supervision that monitors their adherence to curfews, mandates that they attend school, and ensures compliance with other reasonable terms and conditions, such as counseling, which are deemed in their best interests. If thought of in its simplest form, probation supervision is the court acting as a surrogate parent. In a lot of instances, this would not be necessary if parents knew what to do early on. Through the Prevent Delinquency Project, that is exactly what volunteers attempt to teach, by meeting with parent/teacher associations, community organizations, and individual parents who seek out their assistance. |
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Carl A. Bartol, Esq.
Founder |
The Prevent Delinquency Project was founded by Carl A. Bartol, MPA, JD, a New York attorney employed by the County of Westchester, who has prosecuted cases involving juvenile delinquents and persons in need of supervision since April 2001. Frustrated by a system which is inherently reactive in nature, targeting children who have had contact with the police or become the subject of formal legal process, Mr. Bartol set out to find ways to prevent delinquency, rather than respond to it. Relying upon his experience as a prosecutor, counselor in one of the nation's toughest maximum security facilities for youth, and over ten years as a field investigator in the government and private sectors, Mr. Bartol created the F.A.M.I.L.Y. Model of Parental Supervision, the teaching of which ultimately ripened into the Prevent Delinquency Project. Mr. Bartol's tips for parents and methods of investigating the activities of troubled teens have been published in Our Children, the magazine of the National Parent Teacher Association, and PI Magazine, the leading trade journal for private investigators. |
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Leo Dylewski
Police Liaison |
Leo Dylewski has been a police officer since 1999 and joined the Peekskill New York Police Department in 2000. He brings a wealth of knowledge to the Prevent Delinquency Project based upon his experience as a law enforcement professional. Officer Dylewski is presently assigned to several schools within his jurisdiction and actively involved in juvenile matters. He is a certified DARE officer, school resource officer and juvenile officer. In addition, Officer Dylewski is a member of the Peekskill Emergency Management Response Team. Officer Dylewski volunteers his free time with numerous grassroots efforts in the community he serves, aimed at helping youth, and keeping them out of trouble. |
