Juvenile crime rates in the state of New York, but excluding New York City, fell 17 percent between 2010 and 2011, according to new data from the state’s Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS).
Not including New York City, there were more than 2,000 fewer juvenile crimes committed in New York state in 2011 compared with the previous year, according to the annual report. The state saw 12,325 juvenile arrests in 2011, versus 14,864 in 2010.
Within New York City, formal juvenile arrests dropped three percent and felony arrests fell 11 percent compared with the previous year, according to crime rates from the New York [City] Police Department presented in the DCJS annual report.
Robbery was by far the most common type of serious offense, making up 77 percent of the state’s and 74 percent of New York City’s Juvenile Offender (JO) arrests – a special designation by the state covering the most serious juvenile offenders and crimes.
The number of juveniles held in state facilities decreased as well, down six percent in New York City and 10 percent throughout the rest of the state.
The new figures come at a time when the Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s “Close to Home” initiative is set to revamp the workings of parts of the state’s juvenile justice system. Passed as part of the state budget in March, the “Close to Home” initiative will move New York City youth being housed in detention facilities upstate into programs within the city’s limits in an effort to bring them closer to their families and communities.
By shear numbers, New York City accounts for roughly the same amount of juvenile crime as the rest of the state. The city had 12,371 arrests last year compared to the state’s 12,325. As a result of the shift to house inmates closer to home and within the city limits, some detention facilities up state may face closure as the number of local offenders decrease.
Read the DCJS annual report released earlier this month.
Photo via Vacacion.
