Still tell me one reason why a fourteen year old would want to steal a gun "if he feels safe" duh do you get the point now..yeah he should of been in his room away from all this trouble but obviously getting a gun is for some reason right not for nothing.....cuz this shyt is a big big felony for gun usage. And to all who thinks their aint any gang problem in janesville there is believe me.

"everything is done for a reason......obviously if you need a gun you dont feel safe around the people you see or hear about........maybe their just scared of somthing....."
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Perhaps if little Bobby was home in bed where he should have been, he would feel safe and wouldn't need to be running around all hours of the night.........WITH A SHOTGUN!

I'm really surprised anyone got in trouble here.
*
Couldn't the "state patrol" come and do an "investigation" and find all parties equally at fault and let them all go?
*

Like the other poster, I want to know WHO the driver was ........????

I agree with most of your comments, lakennedy. While I agree it must be really difficult to raise children in this day and age, the reality is that the choice has been made and now it's time for the parent(s) to step up and meet their obligations and lead by example.

I agree that instead of accepting that their child may have made a bad choice, a parent is quick to defend the child instead of form an alliance with the figure of authority. This whole concept is continued through the court system: "now you know you shouldn't have taken a gun to school with you, right? ok, so this is the last time we're going to warn you. Next time we will mean business..." uh huh.

but CPS: "what do you mean you got into trouble for hurting your sister?" "How were you punished?" "oh you poor darling, let's make weekly visits to make sure you aren't disciplined like that again."

ridiculous. and people wonder why 15 year old kids tote guns...at 2:00 am...it's a crazy crazy world we live in.

I think that it's important to understand that while there are bad parents, most parents know and understand when there is a problem with their children, but for a number of reasons do not get involved in a solution until it's too late. I think there are a number of things at play here. First, when warning signs show up of misbehavior--for example, if a teacher or another authority figure contacts the parent with concerns about their child, a lot of parents take it to a personal level--as if it is a reflection on they, themselves, as parents, and take offense. A lot of times I think this leads to the parent blaming the authority figure, instead of hitting the real issue--their child's misbehavior--head on. Second, I have read, and can relate to, a lot of posts referring to memories of getting spanked, etc., when we were children. While the fear of CPS is definitley a deterrent to spankings, I think another serious problem is that a lot of parents in today's society are very busy just making ends meet--sometimes this involves working two jobs, etc. Rather than implementing a strict punishment on their child, one that would involve time and follow through, a lot of parents blow off the misbehavior as something that will pass. I realize that there will be a majority of people saying things along the lines of "well, then don't have kids" etc, but the fact of the matter is that I think we can all relate, as parents, that at sometimes we are just BEAT. There are outreach programs to parents that help with all sorts of family issues--there are flyers at the library, etc. I hope that families are taking advantage of these.

i know every thing is true that i said....i dont care if you think it was a bunch of jumble but i was speaking as a friend of the 14 year old and i know that this is taking affect on him. Hes going to try his hardest to get back on the right track. I trust him. You people probably cant and alot of people probably cant. I can.

Ok you all can sit here and talk about this, but when you are at the place it is happening it is scary! Not only that when they closed the restraunt down for 2 hours during the busiest time and the servers loose that money it is bad!

For parent, what kind of punishment is acceptable to their kids these days? Don't tell me verbal warning or time out because that is not even close to making a dent in effectiveness. What options are there? Can a parent call the police or social services to send their own kids to jail if their kids don't cooperate? Say your child is out and not back by curfew... call the police to send your child to jail as soon as they get home? It's no wonder juvenile crime is on the rise these days as they all know that the court system will just give them a slap on the hand and their parents can't or isn't supposed to touch them.

That last post was a pathetic jumble of garbled language. It was painful to read, which is too bad because the message seemed to be good. Wish the gazzette would set up different blogs for those that are so communcatively impaired.

dont blame the parents.....the parents dont know wut kids are doen when they are asleep.....parents trust their kids to the fullest.........for some reason they think that they can count on their kids to do wut there told......i know for a fact that the 14-15 year old parent is not trusting him right now and i know that it is killing for him to know that they dont trust him......idk why kids want to get into this s*** but its their own conscionce that tells them wut to do......everything is done for a reason......obviously if you need a gun you dont feel safe around the people you see or hear about........maybe their just scared of somthing.....i do feel so bad for these kids to even get the feeling that janesville isnt safe for them(yea they were out at 2:00 am in the morning but i see people getting up early like this)..........i just HOPE TO GOD THEY ALL KNOW WUT THEY ARE DOEN OTHER WISE R.I.P and i am not kidding.....being in a gang is just like suicide i sware and i do not want to hear in the news that a 14-15 year old pronounced dead on the head news.....that would be really sad......not only for their parents but for their friends who are there for them and actually try to help them.......cuz friends almost care as much as there parents do..........i just want to let them kids to know that life is hard but when your that young it shouldnt start being this hard.......live life to the fullest (in the good way)......lifes to short to be saying "just shoot me now"..........cuz thats wut gangs are asking is a ticket to their grave.........THEY ALL SCREWED THEMSELVES FOR DoING THAT S***........they basically can all call them selves prisoners cuz thats all they are gunna be treated like for a while.

btw: I think the comments were just a different version of "my Dad is bigger than your Dad." Either way, (at least in MY day) it didn't matter who's Dad was bigger, at the end of the day. If we were out roaming the streets with guns at 2:00 am, I'd have been killed by my Dad, not some gang banger. *yes, I'm being sarcastic, but I didn't TRY to get away with much, because the "excitement" of breaking rules wasn't worth the consequences at home in the form of punishment, discipline, the natural guilt and remorse of disappointing my parents, etc. Not so true today, sadly. Where's the respect for parents??

thanks, vocal1. I appreciate the affirmation.

Cocktail,
Your comments are truly disturbing. There is a certain amount of pride in your comments about "Your City's" gang problem. You shouldn't be taking bets on life expectancy. You should be asked for tips on how to reduce a genuine problem. "Wannabe" implies degree, and I for one am happy that Janesville can't be counted amongst the worst cities for gang related violence. However, calling it a problem no matter how big or small does not make sassy a "drama queen". Teen problems unchecked will grow. She is right to be concerned. If you disagree, what level does the violence have to hit before it should become a concern?

ms_sassy_wi:

I live in a real city where there are real gangs. What you have are wanabees. They are technically criminals since they are breaking laws, but I haven't seen too many Gazette stories on drive-bys. That is a good thing though; I think you are being a bit of a drama queen here.

deltafox- i am not excusing the kids bad actions, but parents are usually sleeping at 2 in the morning and kids like this sneak out. janesville does have a curfew and it does have a gang problem.

I really don't like the term "wannabe"...they ARE criminals. They are no longer "wannabe's" and you can put your head in the sand as long as you need to, but I should warn you, at some point, your brain WILL need oxygen. When you come up for air, take another look around. You may see things a little differently (I like to call it "reality") this time.

Hey let's start a pool. Let's drop these kids off in Compton and see how long before they get killed. I got 4 minutes. Gotta love these wannabe gangstas.

Following the ways of the pack and being an effective pack leader! Laugh if you will but Caesar Milian has it all figured out. By setting rules, boundaries, and limitations for a child helps them grow. Teaching them the rules of "cause and effect". Spanking a child doesn't make them go to Denny's with a shotgun to deal with a problem they had with another person, I would think that this kids problems would have been on the radar screen long before this incident occurred. I appreciate the poster who says they are related to this youth, and my question to the family is, why was this child unsupervised at this time of night? When he came home to obtain the weapon, why didn't the parents obey the curfew law and have the child stay home? Breaking into a locked gun cabinet makes some noise, where were the parents or any supervision?

cmalpsy: I would like to think that if somebody was threatening my daughter, she would have the common sense to protect herself rather than try to TEACH an assailant that the behavior is unacceptable...... GOOD POINT!
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I have often thought that society is too tolerant but yet not tolerant enough all at the same time.
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I also think it is important to not only have schools and police combating this problem, but also to inform parents. Perhaps if more parents knew the warnings signs (gang affiliated colors, clothing, persons of interest, symbols, etc..,) before Junior was "too far gone" the gang actiivty rate might drop a bit.

Proartist, I understand what you are saying, but I would argue that most adults understand that there is a difference between spanking and beating a child. Certainly there are many tragic circumstances that occur in the realm of discipline. So, who set the example for these kids-that it was acceptable to brandish a gun and make threatening gestures to others, endangering the safety of those around them? It isn't always the parents spanking their children that are to blame for all the violence is all that I am saying. But It doesn't matter whether it is Beloit or Janesville, a swat on the backside along with good examples of respectful and responsible behavior goes along way. I would like to think that if somebody was threatening my daughter, she would have the common sense to protect herself rather than try to TEACH an assailant that the behavior is unacceptable.

Not surprised that our culture of violence - from the White House down to some posters here here - condone their own violence against children and yet then blame children for following the example they're shown! Discipline means TEACHING. It doesn't mean harm, hurt, nor humiliate. When our culture and parents teach children that violence (spanking, beating, "kicking their a**", etc.), what result do they expect?!?!? They are teaching "might is right", power comes from size and power, and they learn control comes from humiliating others rather than empathy for them working together toward conflict resolution with respect, dignity and compassion. It's not the fault of social services, the schools, nor a society that has agencies to protect abused children. It's a "do as I say" rather than "do as I do" parenting that is a big PART of the problem. A society that doesn't respect it's children as TEACHABLE human beings can only expect to get back what it has taught them. Children are watching the examples set by adults whether the adults are willing to acknowledge it or not.

Why all the comments about Beloit? We are talking about a problem right here in Janesville! Beloit has been working (and succeeding fairly well) with its problems while so many here in Janesville continue to deny we have problems. Quit looking south, people, and start looking in the mirror.

AND ALSO
I keep saying it and I hope somebody listens
The citizens of this community need to join together and pick up where the city leaves us if that means take back our community then so be it
B

Biscuit, I too got my butt whipped when I messed up as a kid-my parents raised 6 kids this way and we are all productive members of society.

Children are in fact told to contact police or social services if they are being abused. I know this from experience. My husband spanked my sons when they were about 10. They called the police. The police showed up at the house and spoke to the boys. When all was said and done, the officer said he had explained to the boys that they were being disciplined, not abused. He also told us that if there had been any red marks on the boys, they would have been removed to CPS and my husband would have been detained. After something like that, parents are afraid to punish children for their misdeeds.

I do feel some degree of responsibility for the behavior of our children, but cannot be held accountable for the influences of their peers all the time. We raise them the best that we can, and pray that we have a good example. Posters to this site keep asking 'where are the parents?' Quite often the parents hands are tied when it comes to discipline.

As parents, my husband and I raised 3 great kids, none of whom ended up in jail. For that we are grateful, but there was more than one occasion when one of our kids sneaked out in the middle of the night to run over to a friend's house!

You can all talk until you are blue in the face about the gangs in this town .For some reason people think that there is a glass wall up between Janesville and Beloit and that no trouble ever comes past the city limits .I agree that not all is told or reported about the gang issue in Janesville.I was just blasted in Dec. by a poster that said I didn't know what I was talking about.I may not have all the answers,but I no longer live with my head in the sand.This is only going too get worse if our police,schools and gang officers don't start telling us the truth on what is really going on in/on our streets.Heres something for you nonbelievers...If Janesville doesn't have gangs ....Why do we have a GANG UNIT ??? Rock Co. just got a $50,000. grant from the state to combat and educate the police about gangs.

no gang problems? Only if your not looking
I was told by a police officer whom I will not mention that many gang related issues are not reported the city does not want to publicize that we indeed do have a growing gang problem
when I was a kid and did something wrong I got my a** beat by BOTH parents because they stayed together till the end. my daddy wasnt a coward and didnt run off when mom said she was pregnant. It takes parenting to raise children most of the G bangers we listen to say the same thing, dad is gone dad is in prison or dads with another woman, o gee do we see a problem here.
Just a reminder to all those who may be reading this
I hold my right to bear arms very close Understand
B

Yes all the comments made about Beloit i'm surprised Janesville would allow this.

the shotgun was stolen from a locked cabnet in his step-fathers basement.the owner was informed by police sun. morning about it.the 14 yr old broke into the cabnet and sawed the barrel and serial numbers off.(knowledge of this is I am a family member of this 14 yr old)

when kids are this far gone,ask yourself this:
if I were to have beat his A** when he was younger,would it have made a difference on how he acts now?
maybe(probably) yes.but kids today are taught IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS to call social services,report to counselors or teachers if a parent strikes or spanks them.then the parents are subject to arrest,investigations,public records and so on..
they are teaching kids that there are no real consiquences for their actions.
for the record,I have spanked my kids when they were young and they are better off for it.not one of my niece or nephews were ever disciplened by corporal punishment,and it shows.nothing beats a good crack on the ass!

What's with the management at the Denney's. Why didn't they call the police as soon as the youngsters arrived? Why would they want to jeopardize their business this way? Who's going to go to Denney's late at night, or anytime, knowing that punks hang out there?

Bring on the cane. Line these hoodlums up and cane their little behinds. Give them the cane give them the cane. Altogether now- give them the cane. All 10 of them!!!

and do you think the parents got that fine of up to $500? i bet not and im sure the kids will be right back out during those hours pending their release.

And to make matters worse, I'm sure that they have been already released to their "Parents", AND now they some street cred.
I'd like to see our systems do something to de-program these kids. Picking them up and slapping their hands does nothing but to fuel their disrespect for everything.

For the record, what Deputy Chief Moore actually said was:
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“It’s not to say we don’t have gang activity,” said David Moore, Janesville Police Department deputy chief. “We have gangs some people claim to be involved with. Some folks we know are involved. But we don’t have that structure and turf issues that some communities have.”
http://gazettextra.com/news/2007/nov/30/...
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Statistics also show that violent crime in Janesville is in line with state averages, though property crime is higher. (In Beloit, it's the opposite.)

You forgot:
"The child is packing heat, flashing gang signs, and carrying loaded guns around any late night food joint"

k, I looked it up and answered my own curfew ?
At their February 9th meeting, the City Council adopted ordinance #2004-212, creating
Chapter 9.50, a juvenile curfew for youth in Janesville. This ordinance became effective
on February 15, 2004 and will be enforced by the Janesville Police Department.
This ordinance affects children under the age of seventeen. Sunday – Thursday nights
youth under age seventeen must be home from 11:00PM – 5:00AM. On Friday and
Saturday nights, the curfew is from 11:59PM (midnight) – 5:00AM.
Exceptions to this rule include the following:
• The child is accompanied by his or her parent, legal guardian or other
responsible adult having the child’s care, custody or control.
• The child is responding to an emergency.
• The child is traveling directly between his or her place of residence, school,
place of employment or other activity excepted by this section.
• The child is at work or performing certain employment work or services.
• The child is attending a supervised school, supervised religious or supervised
recreational activity.
• The child is performing an errand directed by his or her parent, legal guardian
or other responsible adult.
• The child is engaging in activities protected by the First Amendment of the
United States Constitution.
Penalties for breaking the city’s curfew can include a maximum $250 fine for the child
per offense as well as a maximum $500 fine for the parent or guardian of the child.

Not only is it ridiculous that these 14 and 15 yr olds are out running the streets at 2 am. (Doesn't Janesville have a curfew?) but more importantly, where in the heck do they get guns like that???

I thought Janesville had a curfew at night for underage kids. Anybody know what it is, and when it starts, etc?

"Rock County sheriff’s deputies stopped the trio’s van about a half hour later, and the 15-year-old admitted walking up with the gun and told officers it was at his home, police reported."
Who was driving the van? 14-15 year olds at Denny's or anywhere else at 2am is nothing but trouble.

I knew Craig was a better school, but I didn't know it was the "flagship".

spedtke....Not exactly. I remember recently that the Gazette listed a whole litany of gang related reports coming out of Parker High School, but none from Craig. So, obviously, there are NO gang related incidents occurring at the flagship school. Ahhhh...must be that extra clean east side air.

Does anyone know if this is way the police were in Palmer Park on saturday night ? There must of been about 8-10 all over the place with flood lights !

Obviously they are out doing their gang business. The parents don't give a crap what they are doing, but they feel they belong in their gang. Plus this is more exciting than playing "Grand Theft Auto", although that was a good training device when they were 10 or 11.

And Janesville has no gang problem? Seemslike the "hood" has moved north from Beloit to take a home in the city of parks.
Kind of a poetic justice, seeming that I can remember a chant from Janesville schools during sporting events.."Go back, go back, go back to the hood" Wow, where are those chants now prissy Janesville?

This is crazy -- what on earth are those "CHILDREN" doing out at that hour?!? Social services anyone....

No gang problem? Good parenting here, 14 and 15 year olds out at 2:00 a.m.