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American Morning
Interview With William Bratton
Aired August 25, 2003 - 09:23 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The new school year is here today for millions of schoolkids across the country. And a new survey of working mothers finds new concern about their own kids' safety. When asked when are you most concerned about your kids' safety, more than 87 percent say during the hours after school, before parents get home. What then can parents do to ensure the safety of their children?
Police Chief William Bratton from Los Angeles, a member of Fight Crime, that's a group of 1,000 law enforcement officials that funneled this study. Chief, good to see you. Good morning to you.
CHIEF WILLIAM BRATTON, LOS ANGELES POLICE: Good morning. Good to be with you.
HEMMER: Your statistics really go along in connection with the FBI is saying. I want to show our viewers some of this. FBI statistics say the area of the day between 3:00 in the afternoon and 6:00 in the afternoon are peak hours for committing crimes, kids that become crime victims, 16 and 17-year-olds to be in car crashes, engage in sex, smoking and drinking. Chief, that just covers about everything, doesn't it?
BRATTON: It certainly does. Doesn't it? In effect, it's actually common sense. 3:00 to 6:00, that's when most kids are unsupervised, traveling back and forth to and from school. During those hours they're most likely to either be victims of crime or to commit crime, which is certainly the area of concern we're that focusing on. Fight Crime, Invest in Kids.
HEMMER: And what are you saying to parents right no now? Especially working mothers, who helped conduct that survey.
BRATTON: Well what we're saying is to work with us and to work with your congressmen, your senators. There are various pieces of legislation moving through Washington right now. There's a $5.5 billion program that we're supporting that would provide after-school opportunities.
Any police chief in America will tell you it's critically important to have kids occupied. Get them into mentored, monitored situations. so it's very similar to back in 1994 when we were fighting for the Omnibus Crime Bill. We're fighting for more cops but we're also smart enough to fight for more after-school care programs.
HEMMER: You put a dollar figure in there. Is it just about money, Chief? BRATTON: It's a combination of money and, as we are so familiar in America, volunteerism. I participated in a study a few years back which showed that mentoring, ministering and monitoring, none of which cost a great deal of money, can have a great impact on a child's life.
In the case of mentoring, put a caring adult in a child's life, a big brother, a big sister. Put a caring adult or a police officer in an after-school environment type of program, and you will have that kid much more likely to pass through childhood without being afflicted as either a victim of crime or being a perpetrator of crime.
HEMMER: Curious to know this. Why did you talk only to working mothers for the survey?
BRATTON: That was just a specific focus of that study. There's been countless other studies I'm aware of, several that I've participated in that clearly show that that particular period of time, 3:00 to 6:00 in the afternoon, is very problematic. And it's increased over the years because of the large number of mothers who are now single parent homes, who are now out working.
So these kids, these latch key kids, as they're called, are unsupervised. The idea is to really take a look at all things that contributing to crime, delinquency and what can we do to prevent it? That's what Fight Crime, Invest in Kids is all about.
HEMMER: Thank you, Chief William Bratton in L.A.
(CROSSTALK)
HEMMER: Appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired August 25, 2003 - 09:23 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The new school year is here today for millions of schoolkids across the country. And a new survey of working mothers finds new concern about their own kids' safety. When asked when are you most concerned about your kids' safety, more than 87 percent say during the hours after school, before parents get home. What then can parents do to ensure the safety of their children?
Police Chief William Bratton from Los Angeles, a member of Fight Crime, that's a group of 1,000 law enforcement officials that funneled this study. Chief, good to see you. Good morning to you.
CHIEF WILLIAM BRATTON, LOS ANGELES POLICE: Good morning. Good to be with you.
HEMMER: Your statistics really go along in connection with the FBI is saying. I want to show our viewers some of this. FBI statistics say the area of the day between 3:00 in the afternoon and 6:00 in the afternoon are peak hours for committing crimes, kids that become crime victims, 16 and 17-year-olds to be in car crashes, engage in sex, smoking and drinking. Chief, that just covers about everything, doesn't it?
BRATTON: It certainly does. Doesn't it? In effect, it's actually common sense. 3:00 to 6:00, that's when most kids are unsupervised, traveling back and forth to and from school. During those hours they're most likely to either be victims of crime or to commit crime, which is certainly the area of concern we're that focusing on. Fight Crime, Invest in Kids.
HEMMER: And what are you saying to parents right no now? Especially working mothers, who helped conduct that survey.
BRATTON: Well what we're saying is to work with us and to work with your congressmen, your senators. There are various pieces of legislation moving through Washington right now. There's a $5.5 billion program that we're supporting that would provide after-school opportunities.
Any police chief in America will tell you it's critically important to have kids occupied. Get them into mentored, monitored situations. so it's very similar to back in 1994 when we were fighting for the Omnibus Crime Bill. We're fighting for more cops but we're also smart enough to fight for more after-school care programs.
HEMMER: You put a dollar figure in there. Is it just about money, Chief? BRATTON: It's a combination of money and, as we are so familiar in America, volunteerism. I participated in a study a few years back which showed that mentoring, ministering and monitoring, none of which cost a great deal of money, can have a great impact on a child's life.
In the case of mentoring, put a caring adult in a child's life, a big brother, a big sister. Put a caring adult or a police officer in an after-school environment type of program, and you will have that kid much more likely to pass through childhood without being afflicted as either a victim of crime or being a perpetrator of crime.
HEMMER: Curious to know this. Why did you talk only to working mothers for the survey?
BRATTON: That was just a specific focus of that study. There's been countless other studies I'm aware of, several that I've participated in that clearly show that that particular period of time, 3:00 to 6:00 in the afternoon, is very problematic. And it's increased over the years because of the large number of mothers who are now single parent homes, who are now out working.
So these kids, these latch key kids, as they're called, are unsupervised. The idea is to really take a look at all things that contributing to crime, delinquency and what can we do to prevent it? That's what Fight Crime, Invest in Kids is all about.
HEMMER: Thank you, Chief William Bratton in L.A.
(CROSSTALK)
HEMMER: Appreciate it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
