UNSUPERVISED CHILDREN NIGHTMARE

School will be out soon and we will all have to deal with problems from unsupervised "children," as I will refer to them in this discussion to make my point clear.

Fair Housing ties our hands on how far we can go with behavior expectations from children whose parents work or who are not concerned about where their children are or what they are doing outside of the home.

Below is an excerpt from an article in my local newspaper about a shocking incident that happened recently at an apartment community in my market that I would like to discuss.

Taken from The Herald Online May 15, 2012:

"Twelve-year-old twins accused of assault on a Rock Hill woman in connection to an alleged sexual assault by a third child in April were released Tuesday into the custody of their grandmother." "Testimony last week – in a hearing after which the boys were kept in custody – showed they admitted to police that at about 2 a.m. April 28, they had “snuck out” of their apartment near where the alleged assault took place. One parent was asleep at the time while the other was at work, testimony showed.

A third defendant, 13, is charged with criminal sexual conduct."

[Read more here: www.heraldonline.com/2012/05/15/3975878/...gt=pop#storylink=cpy ]

This was a horrible crime allegedly committed by children living in an apartment complex. It is my understanding from another article that either the 12-year olds or the 13 year-old did not live at this community, but at one of the communities next to it (there are 3 others side-by-side.)

I know this could have happened anytime, anywhere, etc., what I want to discuss is the fact that all of the articles that have been in the paper over the last few weeks have quoted the police saying "the children were unsupervised."

I have driven by this property in the past and have seen at least 10 "children" sitting on the property sign at the main entrance just "hanging out."

If police feel they should have been supervised, why can't we expect it, too?

Now that summer is close, I am asking myself how far I am willing to go to protect my property and residents from the "unsupervised children."

I don't have a serious problem with them, except riding bikes and scooters in the street and parking lot. I think it's too dangerous and we have a lot of sidewalks they can ride on. But, I have friends with properties where the children are just out of control in the summertime.

If you read Apartment Ratings.Com, you'll find many negative comments about managers who do not do anything about the kids running loose.

What are your plans to keep your property from being run over by these "unsupervised children?" Any new ideas being discussed?

Hello Sandy,

Now what I am about to say does not work everywhere and there are a lot of dynamics that come into play. First I say look at the local ordinance that it has for children and when they should and should not be out of doors. Every state is different. That then gives you a basis about enforcement and what the police will get involved in.

Then I would get the parents together and propose to them that you will get their children together and find out what kind of activities that they like. Then look at it and see which ones can be done and the ones where you would need assistance. Take it back to the parents on what the children in the community would like to see and see which ones the parents support. Solicit their assistance.

Are there Boys and Girls clubs locally, or any other facilities for support? Maybe there are some teachers that would lend a hand in organizing events for the children.

Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts. Pooling the talents of the children and they start there own little venture that may even be a money generating thing for them.

Those were some brain storming ideas, but the whole idea is to get the community involved and hear from the kids activities they would be interested in. Maybe your management company has a lead into some ideas that will be fun and at the same time the children learn something.

Now with all that said there will be negative juvenile activity going on and those that are negative and will not get with the program will have to be dealt with and that is where you get the parents and the law together to work out a program for them as well.

Hope something in here sparked an idea!

Nate; those are some of the things I have suggested before in terms of activities for community members.

As a former Scout, I look back at the things I had learned and the things I had done with pride. As a matter of fact, I was telling my nephew not long ago that we got to see the FIRST Space Shuttle when it was NEW (never been outside the atmosphere) as one of the dads was an Air Force LTC that was connected with one of the contractors that had a facility nearby.

I have suggested contacting the city parks and rec department about activities off site.

I would seek a substitute teacher (contact the local school district for some contacts), that may be a (prospective)resident and offer a small discount on rent for a few hours per week of 'homework help' in the community clubhouse during the school year.

Contact the local library for programs they might offer.

If you have several nearby properties; how about pooling resources among them?

The teenagers you see on the news getting in trouble are learning these behaviors somewhere. Make sure the teens in your community learn something positive and hopefully it will spread.

My complex is a concrete jungle with no play areas or green space, so we attract few families with small children. We have an indoor pool and a billiard/table tennis room, so we do have teenagers.

I'm a corny joke to them, which I'm OK with. For the first few years I would say EVERY time I saw them "Don't do drugs, don't join gangs" until they were so used to it they would say it first. I reward them with candy and small toys and games (like you'd get out of a quarter machine at the grocery store) whenever I witness them doing something good like picking up a wrapper they dropped.

I also make sure to treat them like my future prospects, because that's what they are. Look up a bus schedule? Lend out pool cues or ping pong paddles? Make a copy? Sure!

They are residents and they will be lease holders someday. Making an impression now will teach them how to be good tenants, and hopefully good people, later. And if it brings their business to me, even better!

This is certainly a great topic for this time of year. And, I can't really give anyone any standard course of action, but here's my basic dime store advice (what ever happened to dime stores anyway?) I guess since I grew up with all brothers, summers were spent at the ballpark, playing whiffle ball in the afternoons, playig flashlight tag at night in the whole neighborhood, sitting around with friends, hopping freight trains (yes, I did!) and riding bikes every where. So, kids' ambitions, I have noticed have changed over the years with a majority enjoying sedentary activities, like watching TV, playing video games and posting status updates on facebook.

The first thing, as on-site team members need to assess is how big is your staff? Do you have the resources to keep your youngest residents busy and occupied? If you are a team of one or two, it will be harder than if you have a large staff and corporate resources (budget). But there is nothing more fun than planning activities like soccer, basketball tournaments, baseball in large open places on your property. My son and I loved paint ball and this was a really fun thing to do with him and his friends. Set up a course on the property on an afternoon but I know liability may be an issue here. : )

Provide cheap items like jump ropes and sidewalk chalk and let the kids have a roped off area of the parking lot to play. Hopscotch is a lost art. Get the sprinklers out and have water balloon tosses on a hot summer afternoon. A lot of times there are a couple of teenagers who can help supervise.

And I understand we can't be the Cruise Directors, but sometimes it doesn't hurt to throw off the suit/skirt and put on the shorts one day a week a work. I planned a Camp Out, too, with parents, children, and everyone where we pitched tents in the grassy area, cooked hot dogs and made smores and sang camp songs. Hokey maybe but people still talk about it. I've held kite flying days, too, where the local McDonalds provided hamburgers and orange drinks.

As for those unruly tweens and teens, you do have to set the standard and you must enforce your community policies. If it is a true safety issue, you can restrict use of amenities to those who are older than 14, or otherwise accompanied by a Guardian or Parent. There is nothing wrong with letting people know that breaking the rules will not be tolerated and letting parents know that there are consequences as a result of all Residents' and Guests' behaviors. I absolutely appreciate Rose's comments that these younger Residents may become our Leaseholders later. Very good point for me to remember.

Probably not the best choice for multifamily housing, but still funny!

Ok, let's have some fun. "Here's your sign..."

Residents Should Refrain from Peeing in the Common Areas

No More than Two Residents at the Same Time May Gather in the Common Areas for no More Than 5 Minutes

Residents Should Not Peek Into Their Neighbor's Windows or Patio Doors

Residents Should Not Ride Bikes, Scooters, or Bounce Balls in the Parking Lot due to Possible Car Damage

Residents Should Not Trample the Shrubbery

Residents Should Use Their "Inside Voice" at all Times while in the Breezeways

Residents Should Not Eat or Drink while in the Common Areas or Breezeways

All Residents Should be Inside Their Apartment by 8:00 p.m.

OK, I know I'm dreaming, but what would be Your "Sign?"

A few more:

Residents shall not wait until Sat. morning on a Holiday weekend to report that water has been leaking in their bathroom wall since MONDAY.

Residents shall refrain from putting out their cigarettes in the mulch.

In order to avoid interfereing witht the peaceful enjoyment of their neighbors, residents shall be in bed by 8:30 p.m. and not rise until 10:00 a.m.

Residents shall not call the emergency pager to retrieve a package left in the office.