Florida Officials Crack Down on Juvenile Crimes

Juvenile justice officials in Florida are attempting to crack down on increasingly violent juvenile crime in Orange and Osceola counties. Locking up more juvenile delinquents to prevent additional crimes is at the top of the officials’ list of priorities.

According to the Department of Juvenile Justice, the number of kids arrested in the two counties jumped from nearly 14,000 in 2004-05 to 15,000 the following year. Recent juvenile crimes in the area include an armed robbery, carjacking, and attempted murder.

“It’s out of hand. We need to fix this,” said Circuit Judge Tony Johnson.

Addressing the Problem

In July, Juvenile Justice Secretary Walter McNeil and his management team met with other state officials in Orlando to discuss the growing juvenile crime problem. Out of those meetings emerged a list of 25 things justice leaders need to do to address teen crime.

The first priority is to open a center for juvenile delinquents who have been sentenced but are waiting for a space in one of the state’s residential facilities. Currently, teens go back to their homes where officials fear they can commit more crimes.

Other things on the list include:

• Transferring probation officers to Orange and Osceola counties from South Florida
• Teaching parents about the state’s juvenile justice system
• Hiring a coordinator who will work with anti-gang law enforcement teams

Although these reforms are specific to Central Florida, public hearings are being conducted throughout the state to discuss reforming the Department of Juvenile Justice.

(Source: Orlando Sentinel online)

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