When it comes to reducing juvenile crime in the state of Utah, and even more, preventing younger generations from entering into a lifestyle of criminal activity, a new informal working group focused on violence prevention came to a traditional, yet possibly forgotten —in modern society— conclusion:

It takes a village to raise a child.

Headed by Rep. Tyler Clancy, R-Provo, around 30 public safety leaders, medical professionals, policymakers and community advocates brought a whole-of-community perspective on Friday to the concern of violence in the state, specifically with the state’s younger population.

Though an initial conversation, Clancy hopes the collaboration will create a unified front in the state calling for zero tolerance on violence by “confronting the individuals, calling them in and saying, ‘the violence is unacceptable. You have a choice, and if you continue to commit violence’” formal action will be taken. But the hope is that these partnerships will create a community full of support via families, peers and mentors, so that “formal action” will not even need to be taken.

When it comes to many of these kids who find themselves acting out, or committing crimes, or possibly joining a gang, what it boils down to is their need for community, Michael Osborn, an ER physician and director of the emergency department at Utah Valley Hospital, said during the discussion.

He also noted that he’s seen an increase in the number of young patients coming in with mental health struggles in the last 10 years.

Most of these kids, he said, “don’t have a pathway and lack belonging, and don’t have someone who loves them, someone who believes in them.”

“They often end up feeling depressed and sad and suicidal. Those are the things that often lead to violence,” he added. “I would say, from what we see, the majority of crimes that are violent are typically involved with drugs and alcohol, even with kids, they’re going hand in hand. Some of those are usually coping mechanisms and usually because they don’t have purpose, they don’t have drive, they don’t have direction.”

During a two-hour discussion, many of the agreed-upon multipartisan solutions included investing in families, schools and mentor outreach.

When it comes to the social determinants of crime, Teresa Brechlin, program manager at Utah Department of Health and Human Services, said that though it is not definitive, oftentimes when kids are raised with adverse childhood experiences, there is a higher likelihood they will become involved in criminal behavior.

But, “It’s not a matter of sorting to see who’s going to be violent. It’s a matter of looking at the community as a whole and doing our best to ensure that they have the healthiest circumstances they have to grow up.”

When it comes to what works for kids, Pamela Vickrey, executive director of Utah Juvenile Defender Attorneys, said it takes one person.

“No matter where you go, you can talk to people, and they will say, ‘What’s the program that worked?’ And if you talk to the kids, what the kids will say is, ‘it wasn’t the program. It was a person. It was one person.’”

While programs are put in place to help struggling youth, Vickrey said the ratio of youth to mentor is so outnumbered that it’s not a given that each juvenile will get proper guidance.

Rep. Verona Mauga, D-Salt Lake City, has a background in behavioral health and experience in residential treatments. She reiterated to the Deseret News that children need that personal and unique attention.

“When I work with youth who are in the criminal justice system, it’s always one person. Like you can have a really great program, but if you don’t have someone who you think, or a group of people who you think actually care, it’s hard for a child to care for themselves, or to feel seen or just to feel like they’re prioritized,” Mauga said. “Because once that connection happens, you start to see success. You start to see a shift in changes within them.”

Mauga added that it’s vital to discuss juvenile violence with those engaged in grassroots efforts. That means teachers, counselors, and even people who have been rehabilitated after being in prison, and who are working with youth.

She called the group on Friday “inspiring.”

“Everyone brings an important perspective,” she said. “Until we can actually collaborate thoughtfully, we don’t solve the issue, and we just end up at this table again every few years. So I’m really excited for the possibilities of doing work in the early stages of adolescence, and just trying to ensure that there are resources and supports for kids before it gets too late.”

SALT LAKE CITY — This weekend is PACKED with events across Utah for you and your family, no matter where you are!

If you know of an event that isn’t on this list or you have something coming up, email the details to news@fox13now.com to be featured.

Here’s what’s happening across the Beehive State!

CACHE COUNTY
Richmond Black & White Days – This Saturday the City of Richmond will host a parade starting at 5:00 p.m. beginning at 600 South State Street. There will also be family activities at 11:00 a.m. featuring a pet show, cow pie eating and other contests and more! Follow the link for more information and the full schedule of events.

DAVIS COUNTY
Sowby’s Classic Car Show – This Saturday at 4:00 p.m. the Sowby’s Classic Car Show at 962 Porter Lane will host a FREE event featuring food trucks, live music, and awards for participating classic car showcases. Follow the link for more information.

Great Salt Lake Bird Festival – This Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. the Farmington West Sports Park Buildings 3 & 4 will host a FREE event featuring live bird workshops, arts and crafts, face painting from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., a Take-home scavenger hunt, photo opportunities and more. Follow the link for more information.

South Weber Miniature Train Rides – This Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. the South Weber Railroad Club at 621 Petersen Parkway will host a FREE event featuring train rides around the park. Follow the link for more information and all the rules of the train.

SALT LAKE COUNTY
Farm Fest – This Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. the Wheeler Historic Farm will host a FREE event featuring baby farm animals, live sheep shearing demonstrations, food trucks, a wagon ride, live music and more! Follow the link for more information.

UTAH COUNTY
Paddle with Care on Utah Lake – This Saturday at 9:00 a.m. the Provo River Delta at 3400 West Boat Harbor Drive will host a fundraising event to raise awareness for water safety featuring food trucks, educational booths, raffle prizes, and a paddling event in the Provo River Delta accompanied by Search and Rescue and Coast Guard officials. You must provide your own equipment and undergo a safety check before paddling. Follow the link for more information and to register.

Fit City Fair – This Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Sports Park at 295 West Volunteer Drive will host an event featuring a Family Fun Walk and Run at 8:30 a.m, prizes, educational activities and resources for fitness, nutrition, mental health and more. Follow the link for more information.

WEBER COUNTY
Color Country Shootdown – This Saturday and Sunday at 5:00 p.m. Fort Buenaventura Park will host an event featuring a 30 Target 3D course on Saturday and V-formation on Sunday and more. Follow the link for more information and to register.

WASHINGTON COUNTY
The Power of Water and Bats of Snow Canyon – This Saturday Snow Canyon State Park will host The Power of Water from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and the Bats of Snow Canyon from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., featuring a moderate hike with rangers to learn about landscapes in the arid desert sculpted by water and mythbusting with rangers about bats. Visitors are recommended to bring a headlamp to Bats of Snow Canyon. Follow the link for more information and to register.

Secret Life of Lichens at Snow Canyon – This Sunday Snow Canyon State Park will host an event from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. featuring learning with rangers about lichens at the park. Follow the link for more information and to register.

They say the best time to plant a tree is yesterday. The best time for transmission buildout was 20 years ago.

Transmission buildout is not optional. It is a necessary next step in achieving affordable, clean energy access for all Utahns and updating our power grid. To move energy across the state from city centers in Salt Lake City to more rural areas like Cache Valley or Tooele County, updating our aging infrastructure is a necessity. This necessity is growing daily, as is the need for modernization and build-out in order to meet the Beehive State’s rapidly growing energy demand. Once we’re done playing catch-up, Utah is uniquely positioned to get ahead of the curve and become a national leader in this new frontier of energy abundance.

Many Utahns are well aware of this fact, and Governor Cox is no exception. He has championed Operation Gigawatt, Utah’s new plan for powering its energy future, over the past year. Even if Utah produces all the energy in the world, however, it won’t matter without the means to transport it across the state. Fortunately, the plan has stated “increasing transmission capacity” as one of the four key areas of the initiative. At a time when energy demand is skyrocketing, Operation Gigawatt could not have come along sooner.

With 70% of U.S. transmission lines over 25 years old and nearing the end of their useful life, our nation faces an undeniable need for infrastructure improvement. The time for transmission buildout is now. As one of the fastest-growing states in both economy and population, Utah must keep up with the ever-growing need for power. Our population is spreading out across the state due to city centers filling up fast, and the energy needs follow.

While the need to produce more clean, sustainable energy will come, the production is not the only problem. The U.S. has nearly 2,600 gigawatts of energy generation trapped in the queue waiting to be connected to the grid and reach Utahns who need it most. This is enough energy to power 2,277,600 homes on average a year, and it is simply not being used. If we focus more effort on transmission buildout, we can utilize the energy that is just sitting there and be prepared to transport newly produced energy more effectively in the future. This means transmission buildout should be at the top of our priority list.

Yet another benefit to building out our transmission is that Utahns’ existing monthly bills will go down, and the ability for local economies to grow will skyrocket. Transmission buildout projects such as the Cross-Tie transmission line — a 214-mile line connecting Utah and Nevada, expected to be in service by 2028 — not only aid us in our effort toward energy dominance, but also provide a wide range of jobs to local communities with otherwise very little economic stimulation. These projects could help small businesses in these rural communities simply by bringing the power and more people into town.

The bottom line is that right now is the time for transmission buildout in Utah, and it should be at the forefront of the conversation surrounding energy grid development. Expanding the grid will benefit all Utahns across the board by lowering monthly bills and reducing reliance on high-cost power sources. Along with cheaper energy, providing more renewable energy access means less price volatility for Utah, and modernizing the grid also creates jobs and economic growth in local communities.

We should have planted our tree 20 years ago, but there is no better time than the present to put transmission buildout at the top of our priority list and begin achieving energy abundance for Utah.