Elgin leaders look to calm youth homes

Elgin city leaders hope that a month from now the staff and board of directors at the Larkin Center - which operates homes for emotionally troubled and sexually abused youths - will have found a way to reduce the number of police calls.

In 2007, police responded to 888 calls in the areas of the nine homes, which is nearly 21/2 a day.

Last year, the number of calls topped 1,000, as police were called to respond to complaints for incidents ranging from runaways to fights to kids just generally misbehaving.

Councilman John Prigge said he was "guardedly optimistic" about a meeting Friday between council members, city officials and Larkin Center leaders that included suggestions of adding more staff or having a police officer stationed at some homes around the clock.

"I realize they have an inherent problem there but they have to come up with solutions because what's going on there is not acceptable," Prigge said.

Residents and homeowners groups, including the Near West Neighbors Association, have complained the center is a burden to the police department and the constant calls are damaging the quality of life for residents in the area.

Dennis Graf, the Larkin Center's executive director, said the center currently serves 63 youths.

He acknowledged that the need for police assistance is a fact of life for the center, but said the aim to reduce calls for service can be achieved.

"The perception is in the eye of the beholder ... They have a right to be concerned with things going on in their neighborhood," he said. "Our mission is to serve these kinds of kids. They cause problems, otherwise they wouldn't be with us."

Councilman Robert Gilliam said the meeting was productive and both sides are going to reconvene about a month from now to look at new ideas to curb calls for service.

Gilliam said the Larkin Center can't choose its clients. "They can't decline a kid no matter how bad he is," Gilliam said. "They get the worst of the worst."