By Pat Culverhouse
Good fences make good neighbors, so the saying goes, and Webster Parish Sheriff Jason Parker told a class of Youth Challenge Program (YCP) cadets that one certain fence could mean the difference between good and bad experiences.
Parker told the class of roughly 180 that remaining inside the fence that creates the limits of the Camp Minden grounds, home to the YCP, could lead to success in their lives.
“We want to see you succeed. We will help you succeed in any way we can,” he said. “This Youth Challenge Program is a great way to make positive changes in your lives.”
Parker reminded cadets that things happen once a decision is made to leave the Camp Minden grounds, and the consequences are mostly bad. The Sheriff emphasized four things that could lead to misfortune for those who run.
• “If you run from here and try to pick up a ride, you never know who you may get in a vehicle with. It could be someone that means you serious harm, or worse. Today, you cannot be cautious enough,” he said.
• “When you run from here and, say, go into the woods or open fields, you’re going into places that have dangerous animals and snakes,” he said. “We have rattlesnakes and other poisonous snakes. If bitten, you might not last long without help, and where are you going to find that help in time?”
• “Outside that fence, you might find yourself on a highway where drivers simply may not pay attention, especially at night. The result could be tragic,” he said.
• “In our parish, people are protective of their property. Strangers, especially late at night, might find themselves facing someone who will not hesitate to do whatever they think is necessary to protect themselves or their property,” he said.
Parker told the group the YCP is designed to help them become better persons and better citizens.
“If you stay with it and complete this outstanding program, there is no limit to your potential,” he said. “Other groups have produced successful professionals. You may even become law enforcement officers, or politicians,” he said. “One person who completed this program was a candidate for mayor of Shreveport. You have a chance to achieve great things.”
But, he reminded the cadets, those who decide this isn’t the place might find themselves in some other very unattractive place.
“If you run from here, you will become my responsibility and I assure you we will do whatever it takes,” he said. “I want to remind you that the law has changed and 17-year-olds are now classified as adults. That means you won’t come back here, you won’t go to a juvenile center, you’ll go to my prison along with more than 600 others.”
Parker ended on a positive note, telling the cadets his department wants to be a part of making their stay in the program a beneficial one.
“My deputies and I will be coming to see you on occasion, to sit down and have lunch with you and just talk,” he said. “We want to do everything we can to help you. We believe we have a responsibility to help you, but remember we also have a responsibility to the people of our parish.”