To the editor:

I believe America and its law-abiding citizens have had enough of hoodlums running wild and the government not doing anything but subsidizing them.

We have to start somewhere, but the problems are so big and so widespread no one knows where to start.

I am starting with today’s hoodlums, who could become tomorrow’s leaders if this works. My plan would keep these children off the streets and learning a lesson, rather than running wild and unsupervised in our neighborhoods. This plan also would hold the parents of these children responsible for their actions.

If a child is suspended from school, he would be put into a community-service suspension program. This program would take place within the schools and during school hours. They would ride the bus to school as normal, sitting directly behind the driver.

Upon arriving at school, they would report to the head of maintenance, where they would be issued a bright safety vest and then put to work assisting with the care and maintenance of the school properties or loaded on one of the buses and sent to tend local parks, the police station, fire stations or other public properties.

The bright vest would let everyone know these children had broken the rules and were paying for their poor judgment. The vest would be worn from the time they get on the bus until they get off.

Should the child fail to show up for the community-service suspension program, the parent or parents would be picked up and forced to serve in place of the delinquent child. Holding all parties accountable is key; a child is a product of his or her environment.

The only expenses to this program would be the vests, which I would gladly purchase, the fuel and cost of a driver when they are leaving school property and a police officer to accompany them.

I believe these small costs would be offset by the funds saved by the police not having to respond to calls from frustrated citizens and by the city staff not having to put forth as much labor to maintain our community’s public properties.

Please let me know your thoughts at americans.say.enough@gmail.com.

Kathleen Kerschl

Suffolk