TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Capital City's crime rate has led the state for four years straight from 2014 to 2018.
That's why Tallahassee is offering a program to help the youth steer clear from a lifestyle of crime with it's TEMPO program.
It focuses on getting training, jobs or education for people ages 16 to 24, who are not working or in school.
Dr. Kimball Thomas, the outreach coordinator, said there are around 7,000 people who fall under this category in Tallahassee and he wants to get them on a path to success.
He walks around low income neighborhoods, getting young adults who are hanging out in the streets, involved in the TEMPO program.
"A man who was homeless three weeks ago and now because he got a job through a pilot program we're doing with underground utilities, he's no longer homeless as of today," said Dr. Thomas. "That's one less homeless person on the streets in Tallahassee. He's going to room with his bother, pay his share of the rent and begin a brand new life for himself. That is exciting news."
Dr. Thomas says high school dropouts are more likely to be involved with criminal activity.
He adds, half of the 400 people currently in the program, committed some type of crime before joining TEMPO and none of them have committed one since getting involved in the program.
