AMAC Exclusive – By Shane Harris
Over the past year, crime rates have spiked throughout the country, particularly in densely populated urban areas like Atlanta, Chicago, and New York City. Last summer’s spree of violent riots and looting seems to have gradually given way to an disconcerting new normal of blatant criminal activity in places like San Francisco, where thieves rob stores in broad daylight without fear of reprisal. But while any rise in crime is alarming, this latest surge is particularly disturbing because it appears to be significantly driven by juveniles, with high school and even middle school-aged kids committing crimes usually perpetrated by hardened criminals.
The trend is perhaps most clearly seen through the rise in carjackings, which have soared in nearly every major city. In Washington, D.C., the number of carjackings was up nearly 74% as of earlier this summer. In one shocking example from the nation’s capital this past June, bystanders captured footage of an incident where two girls aged just 15 and 13 attempted to steal a car from the Navy Yard area of the city, normally a relatively safe neighborhood, in the middle of the afternoon. The two teens attempted to use a stun gun on the driver of the car, a Pakistani immigrant named Mohammed Anwar. In the ensuing struggle, the vehicle accelerated, hitting several trees and parked cars before flipping over and killing Mr. Anwar.
More recently, D.C. police arrested a pair of 13-year old boys in connection with a string of armed carjackings, alleging that the teens repeatedly threatened drivers with a firearm. The problem has gotten so bad that metro PD has even deployed “bait cars” in an attempt to catch repeat teen offenders.
It’s even worse in Chicago, with total carjackings surpassing 1,000 as of late August after the city saw 1,400 carjackings in 2020. According to one officer on the Chicago Police Department’s vehicular hijacking task force, the average age for carjackers in the city is between 14 and 25. In one tragic incident from Chicago earlier this year, a 65 year-old retired firefighter was shot dead in broad daylight by four individuals attempting to steal his car. The youngest person charged in that crime was just 15 years old.
Similar stories have played out in other major cities throughout the country. In New Orleans, auto thefts are up 173% since 2019. As late as May of this year, Minneapolis was averaging one carjacking per day.
In some cases, stolen cars have been used to commit other crimes, and are one indication of a rise in violent juvenile crime generally. In New Britain, Connecticut, for example, one 17 year-old stole a car before killing a jogger in a hit-and-run. When police arrested the suspect, they found that he had been arrested 13 times in the past three and a half years – a startling escalation that has led some communities to rethink punishments for juvenile offenders.
Teen carjackings aren’t the only crime that has been on the rise recently, either. Just this week, police arrested two teens aged 15 and 16 in connection with the murder of a 16 year-old girl in Lafayette, Louisiana, three teenagers in Trenton, New Jersey involved in non-fatal shootings, and two 16 year-old boys seen fleeing the scene of a shooting in Memphis, Tennessee. The list goes on.
Exact numbers on just how many crimes are committed by juveniles are difficult to establish, as such data is often shielded by state and local officials, and privacy laws for persons under the age of 18 prevent such information from being readily available. However, comments from law enforcement on the ground in affected cities and experts in the field of criminal justice are telling, and perhaps provide some insight as to the causes for the apparent rise in juvenile crime.
Earlier this year, for example, the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), a think tank focused on law enforcement issues throughout the country, cited COVID-related school closures as a potential reason for the spike, telling the Washington Post that “with many schools closed for in-person education, school-aged youths with free time — some as young as 12-15 — are committing a large portion of the increase in carjackings.” In Chicago, Vondale Singleton, the founder of a program dedicated to helping at-risk youth through extracurricular programs, also cited pandemic closures as a potential cause for the increases in youth crime in a comment to NPR, saying, “When they’re in our care, we don’t have or see these incidents of violence of crime or disrespect because we know how to treat these young men; we know how to educate and talk [with them].”
While it may seem a poor excuse to break the law, pandemic-induced boredom is likely a real contributor to rising youth crime. Without the structure of school, sports, and in-person programs to keep kids occupied, many young people, especially those in high-risk situations, have turned to crime as a source of entertainment. One Baltimore police officer described stealing cars as a sort of “sport” among local teens. In Chicago, a teen carjacker admitted that he first got the idea to steal cars after playing the popular video game Grand Theft Auto. This phenomenon often leaves kids from low-income families, whose parents often have to work multiple jobs just to make ends meet, going for long periods of time without any adult supervision or guidance, only adding to the likelihood that they become involved in criminal activity.
Local law enforcement officials have additionally pointed to a breakdown in the juvenile criminal justice system as a catalyst for rising numbers of youth offenders, describing how young people no longer fear punishment for crimes thanks to lax sentencing guidelines implemented in recent years and covid restrictions forcing courts and juvenile correctional facilities to release many inmates early. In Connecticut, for example, former Democratic Governor Dannel Malloy lowered the maximum sentence for juveniles from 36 months to 18 months, even as he raised the juvenile age from 16 to 18. Predictably, youth crime rates soared. A similar pattern has played out in other Democrat-controlled states and cities as well. As the top police official in New Orleans put it, “the wheels of justice just aren’t moving like they did pre-covid.”
In the absence of any coordinated effort from the Biden administration to combat or even commission a study on the youth crime epidemic, some local communities have tried to find solutions on their own. In Rocky Hill, Connecticut, local leaders launched a petition last month calling for a special session of the state legislature to address juvenile crime. Two police departments close to the community also created a joint task force to examine the issue and work together to catch offenders. However, the Democratic-controlled Connecticut legislature declined to address the issue in a special session last week.
While most of the national media by and large appear reluctant to report on the issue thus far, there is little doubt that communities large and small throughout the country are concerned. The energy and spirit of America’s youth will be critical in helping the country fully recover from covid, face down economic hardship, and address the litany of other crises looming on the horizon, and people are accordingly right to fear losing an entire generation of young people to a culture of violence and crime. Whatever the underlying causes that are contributing to the evident rise in youth crime, political and community leaders have a responsibility to address the issue and provide these troubled kids the help they need – lest they become their next victims.
When “bored” teenagers commit adult crime they should receive “adult” sentencing. No amount of intervention will change behavior that should be learned at home. A community program doesn’t bring back the adult the two teenage girls killed.
& freed felons from Local DAs etc nationwide too
One of the factors in this issue is discipline…..young people who have not been taught about moral self -control. Add to this the matter that many of these young people do not have parental guidance or lack one parent (most likely the father) they end up subject to gangs who do offer discipline and a sense of belonging. It’s a cultural lack of development from the early years. Schools, parents, and peers collectively have some responsability here…..My children got into trouble, and they had to answer to me first…..they learned right from wrong, were disciplined and shaped to be respectful, caring, attentive to others and self controlled….by the time they were in grade school, they knew how to act, how to treat others, how to obey the authorities over them, beginning with parents, then teachers, then bosses, etc. When they were old enough to be on their own, they did well, and still expected my counsel. Too many young people today have no mentor for good, no faith background, no concept of how to be a responsable person…..It took years for them to become what they are, and it will take years to turn them back……in some cases it may be too late……prison or the grave is their only out.
It’s mystifying to me that the media either doesn’t recognize gang activity for what it is or is afraid to offend (is “gang” racist?) Urban areas have always had gangs. Many of the crimes reported just emphasize the use of guns rather then the gang initiations or turf wars that they are. Clean up the gang activity and violent crimes will diminish. History has proved this time and again.
HOPE ALL OF their VICTIMS ARE liberals FROM THESE liberal RUN CITIES
What else can we expect when the police are disrespected, defunded and handcuffed to do anything about crime?
Liberal politicians have, by their actions, told people it’s ok to commit crimes without repercussions. What’s worse is people keep re-electing the worthless liberal politicians.
What is the racial breakdown of the criminals? And dont tell me parents are working multiple jobs!
For decades were children born to “single mothers”who received money for each immaculate con ception those poor little loosers had never had a chance but to become a fodder for the penitentiary system,now at last they have someone to look up to George Floyd of course that is the fix we are in
All these Democrat run cities cited in the article opted to defund the police, destroy the morale of LEOs on the job that cannot yet take early retirement, decriminalize many crimes, install prosecutors that would not enforce the law, eliminate or greatly reduce bail which ensured arrest and release would become the norm, and release hardened criminals early from prisons as a form of social justice. That crimes levels have spiked is an obvious result of those combined Democrat policies enacted into practice. What would anyone expect would happen under such policies? Somehow I don’t see social workers or child welfare services showing up to a armed robbery, car jacking, home invasion, gang shoot-out or drive-by shooting with a clip board and pen as being terribly effective in curbing the situation these Democrat politicians have created.
Cities like Portland were a warning last year of what “Progressive” (Socialist) Democrat politicians in control would result in. Yet the people of Portland re-elected the same Mayor and Democrats to continue running their city. That should tell you where the problem ultimately rests. If the people want things to improve, they have to stop electing Socialists to run their cities. If not, then they had better just get used to rising crime and violence as part of the price they pay for their own stupidity and adjust their lifestyles accordingly. Sorry there is no nicer way to say it without sugar-coating the truth.
With no fathers around to teach values, impart guidance and discipline, plus the ongoing social movement toward “new normal” that ignores crime and criminal acts, plus defunding law enforcement, kids have no problem getting involved in whatever makes them “happy.” Certain kids will often get away with anything they can.
“Anger management” vs. real punishment is a joke, thanks to sociologists who think that innate rage from birth, imparted by lack of a traditional loving family structure, can be assuaged with a few kind words. Hardly the answer to kids who are unlucky enough to have parents who fail to provide guidance and advice, plus being good role models, mixed with proper punishment when kids decide to pursue the wrong path, with no promise of consequences. Single-parents (usually single mothers) are a poor replacement for father-absenteeism.
Welcome to the world of socialist liberal leftist. More costly standard of living, more undisciplined children, more crime, more homelessness, more panhandling, more riots, and more chaos in general. All thanks to parents abdicating their parental rights to the state.
These are the same people that the Democrats want to enable to vote by lowering the voting age to 16!
Notice all this is still in Demacratic strongholds. Kyle L.
All dim run cities; the party of defund the police. I’m sure the bulk of them are areas with george-satan’s son-soros bought and paid for DAs that won’t prosecute many “minor” crimes, as well. leftism requires chaos and civil unrest to succeed. It’s all part of the tyrannical left’s plan. None of this is being caused by shortsightedness. It’s ALL intentional. “The ends justify the means.”
Well, keep voting demonkrauts, it can only get worse! ????
First and foremost, very little morality and ethics are being taught today. Criminality is glorified in much of the entertainment industry which kids are exposed to from birth and many get no guidance from home or school, and it’s likely worse in single-parent homes. So we have a lot of youth without the fundamentals to reject criminal behavior. Then, if they have little fear of punishment for their acts as we see with the permissive law enforcement today, they are essentially being encouraged to do whatever turns them on regardless of how repulsive the crime or the impact on victims. We reap what we sow.
Young, juvenile Communist educated Democrats IS WHAT THEY ARE! . . . We the People (citizenry) NEED TO RECLAIM OUR GOD-GIVEN, CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS Before These Communist Democrats STEAL THEM COMPLETELY!
I can’t believe this is the America I grow up in from the late 1940s until the mid 1960s, young people in that time period were taught that laws and law enforcement were to be respected and obeyed, if you broke the law you were going to be punished. Then starting in the mid-sixties, things started to change if you didn’t commit a major crime, you got a scolding and little more, sending a signal, Crime is fine. This all was compounded by the News Media and our School System Demeaning the Police and in the last couple of years the court system has failed the public trust, from the Supreme Court down to the Local Judges, and District Attorneys who the America hating, George Soros has in his pocket, people who will never feel the impact of the criminal elements they are putting back on the streets.
If you start at an early age and teach young children and young people that there are consequences for breaking the law and make the punishment fair and equal across Social, Economic, and Racial lines (same punishment for like Crimes) and never waver and cut slack unless there are exceptional circumstances and only on a rare basis.
why are you afraid to make pertinent connection to race? these violent felonious youths aren’t the sons of America’s ‘prime threat’…white suburban and rural conservative males, they are the offspring of inner-city black men who in most cases were also violent felonious youths! where are we as a nation when an otherwise truthful organization such as yours cannot tell the full story because of a sensitivity to race? LET THE SUN SHINE IN!
We don’t need to lessen sentences or defund police… we need to get MUCH tougher on violent crimes… and all crimes. Having a LONG RAP SHEET is ludicrous. After the 2nd arrest for violent crime, the perps should be given a fair trial, and EXECUTED. Safe tax money to keep them in jail… and certainly don’t put them back out on the street. Execution might deter some felons… but if not… destroying them will. America should be a SAFE country… and our crime rate is shameful… among juveniles and crooks of all ages.
They have seen that many local governments have permitted adults to go unpunished so what can be expected? And some probably think George Floyd is an authorization.
Surging crime rate is indeed national one cause might be lack of law enforcement and or catch and release policy as well ie. That is NO consequences for crime(s). EXAMPLE HUGE crime rate in shoot emup Chicago and
In blood bath Boston as well MANY more examples in states. Cities across the nation Could it be poor governance in these states and cities ??????
STT
Attention Lori Lightfoot you have to PROTECT THE PEOPLE NOT THE CRIMINALS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I suspect in most cases there is an adult that is behind a lot of these crimes .. and of course the adult never has to account for his/her role in the incident. For example, other than joy ride for a short interval of time, what gain does a pre-adult gain? If they keep the stolen item they are likely to be caught and punished. It may be necessary to lower the Adult minimal age as far as penalties are concerned and enforce them vigorously… to age 15 for example. Typically, random violence most often seems to flourish more so under DemocRat governance, but you will never see stats on that.
There has been a surge of “minors” invading the U.S. across our Southern border for more than a year. Most of those “minors” are better described as young men. Who are they, where are they, and what have they been up to are questions that need to be answered.
Harsh MARTIAL LAW!!!!!!!
It is the people that are voting for these policies–as hard as it is to believe. The media is not honest and refuses to connect the horrors of the crimes–with Democrat voters and elected officials. All of this is predictably and unfortunately–the people most affected have been brainwashed into giving their ballots to ballot harvesters that ‘will help them to vote’ by filling out those ballots. Fix our voting system or we can kiss ‘elections’ goodbye forever. Not really a democratic society any longer.
It starts in the home, without a Father present to raise and guide the young men along with discipline that’s needed they are likely to end up in the prison system!
Anything goes here in CA if the crime is under $1,000.00. Walgreen’s has a policy that if you announce that you are going to “rob” the store, management will let you “take” what you need if it’s under $1,000.
When police kneel to criminals of any sort there is no justice. The schools tell the children it is OK to protest and revolt against society, so without LAWS-CHAOS rules
These young criminals are emboldened by the BLM and Antifa riots where the rioters were permitted to steal ,murder, burn down businesses without any repercussions. Even those caught were not punished. The DemonRats have appointed those lousy liberal judges who will not even SCOLD those that are arrested. Kamala Harris even provided bail for those criminals. America is doomed if we don’t elect some sensible politicians.
Boredom due to pandemic is the reason teens have turned to crime for entertainment —-is the worst excuse for breaking the law that I have ever heard. These kids have homes & went to public schools before Covid-19, and they must have been taught the right things & wrong things to do in life.
Beside conceal and carry, I keep a can of wasp and hornet spray in my car to use as my first defense, one spray in the face of one of these punks will totally blind them and enable me to overpower them and cuff them with bungie cords until police arrive. we need to fight back, so that these young punks know there is a price to pay.The key is to have a plan ready.
Back in the olden days… a child’s future success was determined by two factors…
the mother’s education and the father’s income. What happened?
Mother’s went to work to provide a second income… children raise themselves with the tutelage
produced by the “boob-tube” and video games.
Nowadays, the only way to get ahead is to become a criminal or a politician, or BOTH!!!
Discipline & child abuse has taken on a different role in the last 30-years. Just look at Tucker Carlson on FOX a month ago, saying if parents make their own child wear a mask, that is child abuse.
They receive no punishment. A good contrast is just look how the “justice system” has treated the Trump supporters on January 6. Some are in solitary confinement. There was a retired, decorated Navy officer who didn’t even enter into the Capital. His crime was just attending a President Trump rally. The swamp-dwelling FBI is scoping everyone that they recognize that was at the rally, TALK ABOUT INJUSTICE !!!!!!!
Start charging these juvenile offenders with adult laws. Hold the wholly accountable and after those jails and prisons get filled the “youth” will have plenty of time to think about their criminal careers. If they commit a heinous crime hold them wholly accountable! Adult prosecution, adult incarceration.
IMHO!
That is totally a parenting problem. Those children haven’t ever been taught respect or citizenship and that is the fault of the “deadbeat” parent. Don’t give me that poor black child raised by a single parent baloney because I saw a single black mother slap the doggy do out of her teenage son on National television. If the parent isn’t physically able to do that then some liberal Judge don’t need to feel good a decision. Life is rough, really rough if you do stupid sh$%.
The Democrats caused this by trying to install socialism, creating a same gender society, denying slavery, removing statues, eliminating the Real History of Our Country, wanting to De-Fund the Police, open borders creating a free for all. The youth really does not have a clear direction. The Dems are also paying demonstrators especially the young.
“Homes” w/o fathers – 90% – this is the result.
Yeah let’s defund the police! What a bunch of idiots want that.
That’s because the youth of today are so f*cked up. A very sad situation.
These Democratic govenors and DA’s need to pull their heads out of their a$$. California has ruled shop lifting not a crime, breaking and entering not a crime so congratulations to those who voted Newsom back in. The crime will come to you because you are where the money is
Most of it is juvenile BLACK crime ! The word BLACK always seems to be omitted in the last few years until you see photos or videos.
and the racial breakdown of these young criminals is? No one wants to address the elephant in the room.
This is the George Soros effect, destroy the criminal justice system from the inside to create as much chaos in the cities as possible.
WHERE are the parents? No, most of them are NOT working. These violence spikes are primarily in low-income and Black communities, where many parents are unmarried and receiving assistance. Whatever they’re doing with their time, it isn’t keeping track of their kids! Start giving parents of minor children their OWN punishments for what the kids do, and you WILL see the crime rates decrease!
Sad to say this is exactly what the useless democrats, their far left communist party members asked for.
Lawlessness, defund the police,release law breakers, set up sanctuary cities to hide criminals, release prisoners, allow illegals to overrun America!
There you go the FAILED democrat politicians and policies DESTROYING America!!
Who voted for these LOSERS???
Where in H… are the likes of LeBron James…..besides just complaining about racial injustice??? What is he – and other “role models” (ha) … doing to help set the pace for positive change????
When you’ve lived a life of “oppression” by receiving monthly handouts from your master, the government, you feel entitled to take and do anything you want because you have the ultimate ‘Get out of jail free’ card…you get to whine racism to brain dead liberals and they surround and protect you! What an inherently racist country America must be to turn a blind eye to all the crime being committed daily in the streets…yeah right! But then there’s the carryovers to other ethnicities who’ve watched one group get away with everything so now their brain dead pathetic minds (thanks to a worthless school system!) think it’s a good way of life. Go ahead, call me a racist and whatever terms make you feel better about thinking the exact same things but lacking a spine to say them or write them down, I really don’t care. But know this about me, garbage is garbage no matter the skin color, sex, religion, country of birth or any of the other differences we ALL share! None of us control those things but we have total control over what we say and do and should be held responsible for them! This started in the 1960s when people ensured (and rightly so!) civic rights were finally made equal by law but completely ignored the FACT that rights and RESPONSIBILITY go hand in hand! You can not have one without the other! It breeds the infestation destroying this nation!