by Cheryl Leschasin
Northern News Services

NNSL (Sep 19/97) - Youth have come under fire recently for their involvement in crime.

Many young people are concerned that businesses do not differentiate the good from the bad, treating them all the same ... like criminals.

"The youth I know don't mind being checked (for shoplifting) if it's done with dignity," said Holly Regel, 14, a member of the Youth Volunteer Corps.

The worst part of having bags and pockets searched by clerks, said Becky White, 14, and member of the corps, is the absence of an apology when the searches turn up nothing.

Regel and White have both had several bad experiences at businesses, including retail stores like Sutherland's Drugs and Barrenland Jewellery that have wrongly accused them of stealing and not apologized.

Both have also had problems at YK Pizza and Deli, where they were refused service.

They say that if the store clerks had apologized for wrongly accusing them, they would consider returning to the establishment to shop again.

"I was searched once in Smart Set and the clerk apologized after," said White, who added that she has no trouble shopping in that store.

"We need to be supported by the community to give to the community," said Melissa Hazenburg, program co-ordinator for the volunteer corps.

Hazenburg said that young people understand businesses need to protect themselves, but a "blanket" judgment of youth is not right.

Grandma Lee's restaurant made the news earlier this year with their "no kids" policy during school hours, but new management has since changed the rules.

"They will be treated like any other customer, so long as they act like any other customer," said manager Joe Holzer, adding that school-aged people are a big part of Grandma Lee's business, especially in the mornings.

Hazenburg said young people need to make an effort to act responsibly in business establishments, to avoid situations where teens are viewed with suspicion rather than as a regular customers.

Regel and White aren't the only youth who are being discriminated against by local businesses.

"I've come to believe that kids do not have it equal to adults when it comes to abuse like this from someone in authority. I instil honesty in my sons, only to have it attacked by abusive people," said Harry Seeton in a letter to Yellowknifer.

Seeton's 13- and 15-year-old sons were thrown out of Wal-Mart earlier this year after a clerk accused the younger son of shoplifting.

"I will never know what harm was done to their character by this unjust and unwarranted experience," said Harry Seeton.

Staff Sgt. Dave Grundy is sympathetic to the awkward position of mistrust imposed on youth in this city.

"Out of about 3,000 kids in high school, we only have problems with about 30 to 40 of those kids every year," said Grundy at a community policing forum.

The Youth Volunteer Corps is considering adopting a successful Calgary program to help promote fairness.

"The Youth Volunteer Corps in Calgary has a certification processes for downtown businesses," said Hazenburg. Businesses are certified as child- and youth-friendly by youth inspectors.