I know from my years in law enforcement in and out of the courtroom, that if we only focus on adult offenders, we will never effectively address the crime problem.  Most adult criminals started by getting into trouble as juveniles and eventually dropping out of school. It is in those early years when we have the best chance of steering them back on course.  

In San Bernardino County, we are taking steps to keep kids in school and out of trouble.  Thanks to the state’s Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act (JJCPA), we have implemented our “Let’s End Truancy” (L.E.T.) Project, which works to improve school attendance for previously truant students, discourage future truancy and helps to make education a priority for at-risk youth.

We also have various other programs such as Camp Good Grief and the Gang Resistance Intervention Partnership (GRIP) which are both making significant strides with our children.

As I see it, our wisest course is to do more up front to keep troubled kids today from becoming adult criminals years down the road. In this section, you will find various programs that are committed to carrying out this goal.

Michael A. Ramos
San Bernardino County District Attorney