NORWAY — The recent surge in juvenile violence in town and and the surrounding Oxford Hills region had members of the Select Board expressing concern Thursday about the uptick and ways to combat the growing menace.
“There needs to be a conversation on ‘what can we do?'” Town Manager Dennis Lajoie said. “We’re actually a safe community. We want people to feel safe so they can go for a run or go ride a bike.”
A number of attacks during the past few months had led to dozens of misdemeanor charges against a group of teenagers, but the violence escalated last Friday, when the teens attacked a student, sending him to the hospital. Two juveniles, ages 14 and 15, were arrested on charges of aggravated assault.
Selectman Ryan Lorrain brought up the subject, concerned about the published reports and the videos of fights he has seen on social media, some which appear to show parents egging on their child. He wondered if Norway should follow the path set by a few communities across the country that hold parents responsible for the actions of their children, issuing fines once the incidents pass a certain threshold.
“I’d like to see the town pursue something like this,” Lorrain said. “Hopefully we wouldn’t have to enforce this.”
Lorrain wondered if law enforcement would embrace such a policy and find it helpful.
Because the problem doesn’t just affect Norway, Selectman Sarah Carter thought the town should look at a more regional approach by having a community conversation or dialog.
“We should be very thoughtful how we move forward,” Carter said. She added that she thought it would be counterproductive for towns to act unilaterally.
Selectman Thomas Curtis framed the situation as a parenting issue, agreeing with Lorrain that they need to be held accountable.
“We should take the bull by the horns and be the first town to bring this up and say ‘we want action,'” he said.
In other business, the board agreed to close Beal Street from Lynn to Danforth streets on Oct. 13 and 14 to allow the Fire Department to test its hoses. Fire Chief Dennis Yates said his department has 18,000 feet of hose to test.
The board accepted a check for $738.07 from the sale of scrap metal and old culverts and directed the funds to cover safety and protective gear for the Highway Department.
The town also accepted a $5,000 grant from the Center for Tech and Civic Life to help cover expenses for the upcoming election.
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