As youth crime rises, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department has continued to look for ways to decrease it, including the hope for a new detention center facility.
According to the department’s mid-year crime report, more than 1,600 juvenile arrests have been made so far this year. Most notable arrests include violent crimes (220) and crimes related to property from January 1 through June 30.
Some of the city’s leading youth reoffenders, ranging from ages 13 to 19, are currently out of police custody due to denied secured custody orders from the North Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice. At least 62 secure custody orders were denied so far this year, Deputy Chief David Robinson said.
“From an accountability and safety standpoint for our community, our hands are tied,” Robinson told reporters Monday afternoon.
“We have parents who are requesting their child to stay in custody because they fear for the safety of their child.”
Jail North, the county’s last juvenile detention center, closed in 2022 due to staffing issues.
The department has been in talks with city and state officials on this need. The issue remains regarding funding and adequate land to build, Robinson said.
Building relationships
Due to increased juvenile crime incidents, CMPD formed a new task force earlier this year called the Juvenile Apprehension and Diversion Empowerment (JADE) team.
JADE officers conduct juvenile investigations and monitor the most at-risk juveniles in the Charlotte area. JADE officers perform routine home visits to those most at-risk juveniles and offer resources that help build relationships with the youth in hopes of breaking the cycle of recidivism.
“Our goal is not to arrest teens but reach the kids and their families where they are so that the only interaction they get [with police] isn’t arrest,” Maj. Bret Balamucki told reporters.
CMPD also offers these families resources, including counseling and food vouchers, to families in need of assistance.
“A lot of these kids are from environments where the challenge is to survive,” Robinson said.
The department encourages parents to get more involved in their children’s lives and know what activities their children are involved in.
Other crimes statistics
Overall crime rose 1%; homicides saw a 36% increase.
Property crime stayed relatively the same from this time last year, with little to no increase or decrease.
Auto theft increased by 8% with 14% of incidents being Kia and Hyundai vehicles. The increase can likely be attributed to effects stemming from the viral social media challenge.
Youth accounted for 74% of all auto theft arrests, a 7% increase from last year’s numbers.
Robinson said the slight decrease from last year’s increase is a “positive sign” toward improvement. He attributed increased patrol and the department’s distribution of steering wheel locks to Kia and Hyundai vehicle owners.
“This is a huge step forward in stopping the rapid increase in these crimes,” he said.
Other crime trends include:
- Overall arrest, up 5%.
- Firearms seizure, up 1%
- Robberies,
- Rapes, down 2%
- Aggravated Assault, 8% increase
- Arson, 44% increase
Read More
