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Residents raise safety concerns after youths allegedly ran off campus from Newport Academy; council to follow up
Summary
Two residents told council they had seen youths they said were runaways from Newport Academy near Fraser Lane; one resident reported difficulty reaching the facility by phone and asked the city to improve notification and security, while another urged a humane approach to youth with mental‑health needs.
During public comment, resident David Chrisman said he observed a teenage boy driving a Subaru circling Fraser Lane in the evening and later learned the youth may have been a 15‑year‑old runaway from Newport Academy. Chrisman said he called Newport Academy that night but "you literally can't get anyone on the phone" and described being placed on hold and finally reaching a staff member who he found condescending; he said three runaways have come through the area since Newport Academy opened and asked the city to require better notification so neighbors know when a client has left campus unsupervised.
Another resident, Ricky Shapiro, urged caution in labeling youths as troublemakers and said many are struggling with mental‑health or addiction issues; Shapiro urged the council to treat the issue humanely. The mayor/chair acknowledged the comments, asked Chrisman to provide his contact information and told him someone would follow up. No formal city response or policy change was adopted at the meeting; the council recorded the public comments and said staff would take the concerns under advisement and follow up with the resident.
The council did not provide detailed information about Newport Academy's operations, security protocols, or the facility's reporting obligations during the meeting; council members directed staff to take the complaint under advisement and follow up with the commenter.
