Transcript for the Piece Audio version of A Morning with Baltimore City's Juvenile Warrant Task Force

JUVENILE WARRANTS
MADDEN
AIR: 5/8/08
TRT:

INTRO:
Today, we go out with the Baltimore City Police Department?s juvenile warrant apprehension task force. The Squad gets started at 5 am to find the suspects under the age of 18, who are wanted for reasons like, failure to appear in court, violating house arrest, for removing an electronic ankle bracelet ? also known as ?the box?, or for escaping juvenile facilities. Mary Rose Madden has this report.

BODY:

AMBIENCE: Door knocking

Mothers meet Police

There are about 500 outstanding juvenal warrants in Baltimore, often involving violent crime. And the police officers who go out with the Juvenile Warrant Apprehension Task Force to serve the warrants usually don?t find their suspects. In these very early morning hours, it?s the mothers of these kids who usually meet the police. The kids are nowhere to be found.

TAPE: (XX SECONDS)
IC: When?s the last time you saw him? He has a habit of coming here ? just stopping by? whenever I?m at work

This particular morning is like many others. When Officer Joe Choinski, Community Detention Officer Leo Zilka, and Youth Services Officer Darren Moore head to the East Baltimore homes -- the mothers speak of a common problem: they can?t keep track of their kids. This mother?s son has been on the run for eighty-one days.

TAPE: (XX SECONDS)
IC: ?Is he coming to see your daughter? No. sneak in, change his clothes. That?s what he do. When I come in from work, I can tell that he ate something and going on with his day.?

And at a different house, another mother answers questions about her son?s whereabouts and his legal problems.

TAPE: (8 SECONDS)
IC: ?I don?t know where he at. All he is do is run the street ? He barely come here. I don?t know what house he in. All I do is work. And I try my best to keep a roof over his head ? I don?t chase him around. When I do see him, I?ll bring him down to Gay Street.?

The mothers say their sons might be sleeping at a friend?s house or possibly staying with a girlfriend. For the most part, they say, their sons are not listening to them. They speak of losing their kid to ?the streets? ? and this can mean anything from hanging out - not going to school - to hanging out with the wrong people -- be they cliques or gangs.

TAPE: (8 SECONDS)
IC: ?As you can see, the majority of the homes we go to and it?s 6,7,8 in the morning and some of these juveniles are not even at home.

That?s Officer Darren Moore

As you can hear, the parents don?t know where they are. They?re just out and about doing what they want.

He breaks down the situation like this -

TAPE: (8 SECONDS)
IC: ?These parents just let the kids go. When they get fed up with ?em or - kid is constantly getting in trouble, kid is constantly getting locked up. I guess they get to the point where, ?I wash my hands, you know.??

Officer Moore asks,

?Wouldn?t you want to know where your kid is??

But for the parents, usually the mothers, it?s just not that easy to discipline their sons. Moore says often the kids they?re searching for have the attitude -- What are you gonna do about it? -- in the face of their mothers, or any other authority figure for that matter.

And, the Youth Services officer adds many of the kids with open warrants, many of the kids he talks to, live their lives with short-term vision.

TAPE: (8 SECONDS)
IC: ?I could die today or tomorrow. It don?t matter to me.?

AMBIENCE: (Knock, knock, police)

The officers approach their last house of that morning.

TAPE: (8 SECONDS)
IC: ?Have you seen?? Yes, I can help you, come in.?

Another mother greets the officers and invites them inside. A thin woman, she appears somewhat disheveled, wearing boxer shorts and a tank top. And she desperately wants the police to find her son, who?s in the custody of his grandmother, her mother. She knows he?s on the run from the police.

TAPE: (XX SECONDS)
IC: ?Check this out, my mother is 65 ? she can?t do this no more. He can go out until 9. But he got mad with my mother and she wouldn?t sanction it. So, he put a hole in the wall in her house and cut the box off. So, he came here got all his clothes.?

She continues, telling the officers how her son has escaped consequences and frightened the family. The mother pounds her fists together, showing her frustration and anger to the officers.

TAPE: (XX SECONDS)
IC: ?This is the fourth time ya?ll gave him a break. The first time ya?ll ? they only had to do the CD ? he could come out. The N-----, the sorry ass N----, wouldn?t even start the process. The second time, they gave him it ? this is the fourth time they gave him the box. And he f---d up. And I don?t give a god damn what happen ? he?s 17 in his mind this, is what they say. When they catch me they?re gonna drop the charges.?

There are a number of places her son could be, she explains. She starts calling around to find out exactly where he is. After calling her daughter and other family members, she hands the address to the officers and tells them to go find her son.

TAPE: (XX SECONDS)
IC: ?That?s it ? go get ?em. Hold it. Before you go, let me call my mother. Some times, if he gets scared he?ll go. Trust me. I want you to get him. My mother 65. She raised him. I?m tired of him taking my mother through this.

They have one last discussion about the young man?s whereabouts. She tells them the likelihood that her son will continue running from the police, and continue scaring her family. After the call to the grandmother to bring her up to speed with what?s going on, the police get the final go head.

TAPE: (XX SECONDS)
IC: ?He?s there. Go there to the avenue. He?s 17 ? so, where he going? He going to ?baby booking? first ? thank you! Thank you, lord!?

The police head to the address the mother gave them. But when they get arrive with weapons drawn, her son is not there. And no one will say where he is.

TAPE: (XX SECONDS)
IC: ?Where is he man? I don?t know. Come on man. He outside. Outside.?

I?m Mary Rose Madden reporting from East and West Baltimore with the Warrant Apprehension Task Force, Juvenile Division, for 88-1 WYPR.

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