Approximately 90% of all crimes in Syracuse are committed by juveniles, according to a Syracuse Police Spokesperson.
SYRACUSE, NY -. Juveniles, those under the age of 18, are responsible for the majority of crimes in Syracuse, including robbery and vandalism, according to Syracuse Police. Police also note that most of the juveniles are released after committing a crime and go back and commit a similar crime again and again.
Sergeant Thomas Blake, the Public Service officer for the Syracuse Police Department, is concerned about the increase and says there needs to be changes.
“Some of these legislative changes that we have had over the past few years have been less adventitious. So I think seeing some changes come from the state level would be huge,” said Sgt. Blake.
One of those legislative changes occurred in December of 2022 when New York State lowered the age of juvenile delinquency. Previously anyone under the age of seven would not have to go through the juvenile criminal justice system. Now with the new legislation any child under the age of 12 is protected by the state.
Sgt. Blake says after a juvenile is apprehended they have the option to get fingerprinted and go before a judge, oftentimes being released back to the parent or guardian with a family court date.
The Numbers
Most of the offenses juveniles commit in Syracuse are property crimes, which can be anywhere from larceny to burglaries or thefts. Sgt. Blake says every day, Syracuse Police arrest juveniles for committing crimes. According to the Syracuse Police Department database, as of last week, 321 Juveniles have been arrested this year.Compared to last year, 298 juveniles were arrested. That is about a 30% increase in juveniles committing crimes.
The most concerning news for homeowners and local businesses, said Blake, is that the police can not do much to stop these crimes as the criminal justice system ties their hands.
“It typically is not up to us [The Syracuse Police Department]. We will typically fill out a form that’s basically a pre-detainment form. We will call up to the Hillbrook detention facility to see if they meet the criteria of getting lodged up there, but it’s a pretty high standard, to be honest with you, in order to get someone to be housed up there, “said Sgt. Blake.
Why Juveniles
Sgt. Blake said that there is a list of reasons why juveniles commit crimes but that most of it stems from pure boredom.
“ Kids get bored, and they don’t know what to do, and they think, okay, this is fun; I’ll go take something when they get away with it, and they continue to re-offend and re-offend with little to no consequences and just become a thing where the commit worse and worse crimes,” said Sgt. Blake.
The Syracuse Police Department has made initiatives to deter juveniles from committing crimes. Three years ago, Syracuse Police started a program called P.A.L., the Police Athletic League, where they target vulnerable juvenile communities and host events such as basketball and baseball tournaments to get kids engaged in the community and with the Police department.
It’s not just Syracuse
In a recent report by “Newsweek,” the Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.) released its 2023 “Summary of Crime in the Nation.” The numbers also show an increase in juvenile crime. Across the nation, 73,332 juveniles committed property crimes compared to 2022’s report of 56,674.
The Syracuse Police Department urges the community to be vigilant, lock their doors, and keep valuable items out of their cars.
“There are two sides to the coin. You feel bad for the kid because they are probably from a less than desirable situation or they likely would be doing it, but you also feel bad for the victims who are adults and are trying to make ends meet,“ said Sgt. Blake.