http://www.wbay.com/Global/story.asp?S=4799564

Green Bay, WI

City Alerting Teens About Clean Sweep Police Program

April 21, 2006, 09:21 AM EDT

By  <mailto:sthomsen@wbay.com> Sarah Thomsen

Starting May 1st, two-person teams of Green Bay police officers begin making

unannounced sweeps through parts of the city looking for violations of the

law. They'll target specific neighborhoods looking for people loitering,

blaring their car stereos, breaking curfew, and even more seemingly minor

violations.

Police are warning teenagers about the program even before it starts.

Students at Washington Middle School, East High School, and every other

middle and high school in the school district will receive a letter next

week to take home.

"We're going to not only tell them that we're coming but then we're going to

have a zero-tolerance approach," Commander Jim Arts explained, "and many

people are going to get citations for that."

The letter warns how police will look for and ticket anyone committing even

minor offenses in order to improve the quality of life in their

neighborhood.

"We're going to go out and attack those issues like curfew, loitering,

obstructing traffic, loud music from car stereos, things of that nature,"

said Arts.

The letter is going home through schools -- not specifically to people's

houses -- so kids especially will actually read it. That way if they get

caught breaking the law this summer, they can't say "I didn't know about

it."

"They can't get away with it and they can count on getting a citation,"

Commander Arts warned.

It's exactly the crackdown neighbors want.

"I just can't wait," Gloria Stevenson of the Olde North Neighborhood

association said. "I've been outside working in my garden and there've been

times I had to yell over the fence to turn it down, so I can't wait for the

May 1st to come."

"Once school is out they'll already know that they're going to be watched.

Cut down on the graffiti, cut down on the loud music, cut down on the trash,

cut down on a lot of crime," said Jean Davis, also from the Olde North

neighborhood.

Police believing fixing the little things will help improve neighborhood

pride and prevent bigger crimes.