PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release on September 29, 2005

Contact: William J. Smith, (718) 556-7150

D.A. Donovan Opens New Truancy Center Serving North Shore Community

***New center opens at Calvary Presbyterian Church, Helps Law Enforcement Authorities Combat Juvenile Delinquency and Daytime Crime***

STATEN ISLAND, NY – Richmond County District Attorney Daniel M. Donovan, Jr. today formally opened the new TRACK (Truancy Reduction Alliance to Contact Kids) Center serving the North Shore community of Staten Island, located at Calvary Presbyterian Church on Castleton Avenue. The center replaces a facility formerly located at St. Peter’s Church, St. George. A facility serving the South Shore is located at Christ Lutheran Church, Great Kills.

“I am grateful to the Pastor and Church community at Calvary Presbyterian for generously allowing us the use of their space for this worthwhile program for our youth,” stated District Attorney Donovan. “This program invests both parents and children, along with educators and law enforcement, in the education process and works to ensure that young people are prevented from depriving themselves of an education and limiting the possibility of delinquency or a criminal record.”

The truancy program's goal is to make students responsible and parents accountable for attendance. Truant students are taken by police officers to central locations staffed by police, School Safety Officers and staffers from the District Attorney's Office. Schools are contacted and asked to provide attendance records and family contact phone numbers. A parent or guardian is called to pick up the truant student. If no parent is available, the School Safety Division will return the child to the school. Parents will also be provided with information about local community service agencies which specialize in family situations.

The TRACK program was first introduced to New York City by Brooklyn District Attorney Charles J. Hynes in 1998 and was established on Staten Island in 2001. Between 2001 and the end of the 2003 school year, a total of 6,850 students were processed in Staten Island’s TRACK sites, with only 773, or approximately 10%, rate of recidivism. During the last school year, 2004-2005, a total of 2, 326 students were processed in Staten Island’s TRACK facilities

RICHMOND COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S TRUANCY UNIT

North Shore Site – 2004/ 05 School Year

# of Truants:.........................................................................................................................1095

# of Parental/Guardian Contracts:............................................................................................983

# of Parental/Guardian Pick-Ups:............................................................................................624

# of Students Returned by S.S.O:............................................................................................432

# of Students Returned by NYPD:............................................................................................16

# of Miscellaneous Returns:.......................................................................................................23

# of Males:.............................................................................................................................690

# of Females:......................................................................................................................... 405

# of Recidivists:...................................................................................................(M) 226 (F) 141

South Shore Site – 2004/ 05 School Year

# of Truants:.........................................................................................................................1231

# of Parental/Guardian Contacts:...........................................................................................1201

# of Parental/Guardian Pick-Ups:............................................................................................773

# of Students Returned by S.S.O.: ..........................................................................................418

# of Students Returned by NYPD:............................................................................................40

# of Miscellaneous Returns:...................................................................................................____

# of Males:.............................................................................................................................716

# of Females:..........................................................................................................................515

# of Recidivists:.....................................................................................................(M) 151 (F) 75

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