Juvenile Delinquency: Causes and Prevention

Summary of the Article

Two boys of ages 11 and 13 were charged at the Kane County Juvenile Court for allegedly vandalizing eight rail cars at the Fox River Trolley Museum. The damage was estimated to be $110,000. This occurred between July 4 and 7, where the boys broke into the museum maintenance building and stole an ax and spikes that they used to cause the damages. Most noticeable damages were the car that had 26 windows being blown out and another with a historic, unique, and irreplaceable headlight destroyed. The Fox River Rail line has great historical importance, and the rail cars were well preserved through the opening of the Fox River Trolley Museum. The rail enthusiasts had given everything in order to keep the history cars in their original state (Schulte, 2018). To re-establish its initial state of the museum, the museum organized free tours and rides aimed at convincing people to donate, and they managed to raise $19,000. This gave some people an opportunity to visit the museum for the first time in their lives. The tragedy created an awareness of the existing historic rail cars and the importance of maintaining the history in future.

Reflection on the Article

The incidence of the two boys deliberately vandalizing the historic cars is very discouraging. There is, therefore, the need to create awareness to the general public on the importance of the various historical elements in the country, and thus should be preserved at all costs. People are also encouraged to visit the museums to know past history regularly. Both the government and the judicial system are out to ensure that historical places are protected, and those who destroy them are arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law.

Reference

Schulte, S. (2018 July 23). Two boys allegedly vandalize rail cars at Fox River Trolley Museum. ABC7 Chicago . Retrieved from https://abc7chicago.com/two-boys-allegedly-vandalize-rail-cars-at-fox-river-trolley-museum/3806997/ .