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Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and Police Chief Tim Dolan today reported that the City’s Juvenile Crime Unit created on May 1, 2006 is having a significant impact. At a news conference at City Hall today the Mayor and Chief reported that, since May 1, arrests of juvenile offenders have increased 115% and charges of juvenile offenders have increased 50% when compared to last year.

“Tackling juvenile crime is our most immediate problem,” Rybak said. “Minneapolis and other cities across the country are faced with the very real and serious challenge of younger, more violent criminals. In response, we are arresting more kids and we are charging more offenders to get them off the street. The new Juvenile Unit is doing exactly what it was created to do: focus on troubled youth.”

“The Juvenile Unit is delivering immediate, positive results,” Dolan said. “It is providing the needed coordination between police, county probation, the courts and the schools to arrest and successfully charge more juvenile offenders. Previously this coordination was lacking and we were losing too many kids. Now fewer kids are falling through the cracks.”

From May 1 to June 30, the number of arrests of juvenile offenders committing robberies and aggravated assaults increased 115% from 34 to 73 and the number of juvenile offenders charged with robberies and aggravated assaults increased 50% from 74 to 111 when compared to 2005.

The Juvenile Unit’s ability to significantly increase arrests and successful charges stems from its effort to coordinate information from various sources and focus on immediately connecting troubled youth to social service programs that help them transition out of crime. As a result, juvenile offenders are more likely to be charged with a strong case, while at the same time they also are tied to support systems to prevent repeat crimes. With additional staff and technology on the way for the Juvenile Unit, police officials hope that these positive results continue to grow.

Coupled with the Juvenile Unit, police have also created a Juvenile Criminal Apprehension Team to identify and target the most serious youth offenders still on the streets. This aggressive, proactive team combines police officers, the U.S. Marshal, the county sheriff and probation officers to find specific juveniles and get them off the street. Early reports indicate that the word is out about these police efforts and some youth offenders are turning themselves in out of fear of being caught.

In addition to tough enforcement, Mayor Rybak insisted that the long-term solution to youth crime is to attack the core issues that put kids at risk. Towards that end, the City has increased the number of youth summer jobs, expanded youth recreation, and increased funding for aggressive outreach to the most disconnected, at-risk youth to out-recruit the gangs.

“We can’t arrest the problem of crime away,” Rybak said. “There’s a time for tough enforcement – and we’re doing that – but we need to also get at the root causes of crime to win back our kids. We must prevent crime by creating an environment of hope for our youth. This takes all of us stepping forward to connect youth with trusted adults and give them a sense that they belong.”

City of Minneapolis

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Mayor Rybak and Chief Dolan Report that Juvenile Crime Unit is Delivering Immediate, Positive Results

Arrests and Charges of Juvenile Offenders Dramatically Increased Since May 1