Almost every youngster in town can find something to do at the new Rancho Cordova Youth Center, which offers basketball, outdoor activity, arts and crafts, and computer laboratories.
Kimberly Key, the CEO of the Boys and Girls Club, promised that “they’re going to get fed and they’re going to get help with their homework.”
Authorities in the area are reporting an uptick in teenage crime and violence around the time, which includes the recent murder of a 15-year-old boy in North Highlands.
“We probably don’t have a city with a stronger crime prevention program than this one. Catching children early, before they start down that route, is much easier, “said Rancho Cordova Police Department Lt. Rich Merideth.
Azari Blank, a fifth-grader, claimed that prior to this, he simply went home immediately after school.
We’ve all been searching for this, I believe, he said.
The area is a safer place for kids, according to his mother Kimberly.
“I am aware that there are many unhealthy activities taking place in the streets simply because everyone is bored. They need to do something. Many individuals, particularly teens, are violent “mother said
It will provide kids options, so they won’t turn to some of the things they are now doing on the streets, according to Lt. Merideth.
The children will be watched after by more than 25 adults, including Rancho Cordova police officers from the Police Activities League.
According to Lt. Merideth, “kids get to come in and see cops are just people, and that’s how those relationships start.”
They are hoping that this connection will prevent more teenagers from making trouble.
Assuring their continued progress is something we want to do, Key added. The facility, which cost the city $8 million to develop, is now accessible to children in Rancho Cordova between the ages of six and 18 through its programs.
