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Lethbridge cop tries to keep FASD kids out of the court system
Bill Graveland
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LETHBRIDGE, Alta. (CP) - Const. Mark Waage is a hardcore cop with the soul of a social worker.
He has to be to do his job as the FASD Project officer for the Lethbridge Regional Police. It's a program considered to be on the cutting edge in helping youths who suffer from fetal alcohol spectrum disorders stay on the right side of the law.
But it's an uphill battle.
FASD, the result of brain damage to the fetus when a pregnant woman drinks, leads to a range of socially inappropriate behaviours that may include lying, stealing, poor socializing skills and an inability to differentiate right from wrong. Some estimates suggest that between 20 and 30 per cent of inmates at Canadian jails are suffering from FASD.
"They will never be criminal masterminds. They're not automatic criminals but they are more prone to the activities that can lead to criminal activity," Waage said in a presentation to new recruits from the Lethbridge and Medicine Hat police departments recently.
"They are very impulsive, they act before they think and a lot of times they can't think."
It's the inability to tell right from wrong and a need to be protected from the criminal element that is behind the program.
"They become victims themselves. In some bigger centres they become targets for gangs because they are easy pickings - they're easily influenced," he said. "They'll say they met some new friends and will come back from jail saying the same thing. They are willing to please."
Waage deals with about 25 FASD kids each year and tries to find ways to keep them out of the already burdened justice system. Punishing them in the courts will not teach these youngsters any kind of a lesson, he explained.
"These individuals do not understand consequence. They may say, 'Yes, I understand.' They may nod their head, but they have no clue."
He watched one young man nod in agreement as a judge gave him a tongue-lashing.
"The judge said, 'Do you have anything to say?' And the kid said, 'Yeah, what's that on your cheek?' The judge had a mole and the entire time he was focused in on that mole.
"He walked out completely stunned and had no idea why he was there. So these kids don't fit the Youth Criminal Justice Act."
Lethbridge residents have seen some of the most tragic effects of FASD. This fall, a provincial fatality inquiry will look into the death of Sharla Marie Collier, a 20-year-old part-time worker at a city group home for young people with the disorder.
Her battered body was found Nov. 16, 2002, in a wooded area near the bank of the Oldman River. Collier had gone for a walk with a 14-year-old resident who ended up bludgeoning and raping the woman who was trying to help him. He's now serving a life sentence with no chance at parole for seven years.
New officers realize that running into suspects with FASD is a part of the job, but the disorder isn't always easy to pinpoint.
Leslie Phillips, a recruit from Medicine Hat, noted that some features of fetal alcohol syndrome are similar to attention deficit disorders.
"My son exhibits most of these symptoms and that's because he's had sugar puffs for breakfast - seriously. He can't sit still and can't pay attention, but that's just because he's four and he's running around like mad."
Of the 1,293 offenders going through the youth court in Lethbridge in 2006, 129 were diagnosed with FASD and another 36 were suspected of having it.
Waage, who estimates that 80 per cent of the kids in the care of the Alberta government are suffering from the disorder, is able to use his discretion with some of those he deals with. For instance, one teen who left a group home for an evening admitted to breaking a store window because he wanted pop and chips. Waage was able to get the province to pay for the damage to the window and the charge was withdrawn.
"I advocate for them. Certainly I'm a police officer and a police officer first, but I look after community safety. If I can clear the charge by withdrawing it or diverting it, I will consider that option.
"I weigh the odds, I weigh the balances of what's good for the community and what's good for the individual and ultimately find out what we can do to lessen the recidivism and to resolve the matter."
There is no guarantee his charges will stay out of trouble, but it is possible for them to live better lives as long as someone keeps a close eye out for them.
Parents who unknowingly adopted an FASD child can find the court system frightening, explained Laura Elliott, a FASD outreach worker with McMan Youth, Family and Community Services in Lethbridge.
"It makes all the difference in the world because these parents are so stressed out and then their kid gets into trouble and they are so afraid," she said. "And then they find out there is an option and there is someone who understands and they are in tears. It's really quite a wonderful thing."
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8/17/2007
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