It's no secret the City of Norwich isn't what it use to be. Many of the successful industries that once found a home in a once thriving community have uprooted, taking a lot of the professional workforce with them and leaving behind a void in the local job market to be filled by low-income part-time positions that hardly pay for gas to get to work, let alone a livable wage.

Despite the subtle signs of minor economic recovery in recent months that show sense of resiliency, I recently heard someone say it's little, too late; the City of Norwich has taken a turn for the worse. With increased drug use, increased crime, and a subsequent decrease in the number of young people willing to stay, it's awfully hard to disagree.

Given the combination of these conditions, it comes as no surprise that Norwich has become a more violent community. Granted, there are far more dangerous places to live (and I can still walk my dog at night without fear of being mugged). But on the other hand – and I say this from experience – one needs go no further than The Evening Sun offices on Lackawanna Ave. to hear the less than flattering conversations of passerby's on a typical weekday afternoon. And anyone who reads the police blotter has an understanding of some of the challenges the community faces.

I think all this coaxes serious questions pertaining to the overall safety of the community and how it influences youth.