Juvenile crime is on the rise: Gang activity, stolen firearms among reasons
By Kathryn Clark
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RUSSELL COUNTY, Alabama (WCOV) — Juvenile crime is on the rise in Russell County, which police attribute to situational factors.
“So far in Russell County, a total of 64 delinquency petitions have been filed in 2024,” said Richard Chancey, Russell County District Attorney. “If the delinquent petitions had been adult charges, it would break down to 21 felony offenses and 43 misdemeanor offenses.
Chancey said that there are seven individuals in the Russell County Jail who are less than 18. These offenders would ordinarily be juvenile offenders. Also, he said that Alabama law defines all offenses committed by juveniles as delinquent acts.
“If the underlying offense would result in an adult criminal charge and the child were 18 or above, the offense would either be a misdemeanor or a felony,” Chancey said. “However, since a juvenile is not technically convicted of a criminal act, all juvenile offenses are deemed delinquent offenses. If the juvenile is found to have committed the offense, they are not found guilty, per se, but rather they are an “adjudicated delinquent.”
Some of the possible leading factors of an uptick in juvenile crime are growth in the juvenile population, an increase in gang activity, the availability of firearms, and dysfunctional peer and family relationships.
“You have more firearms on the street and availability comes from theft a lot of the time,” said Cpt. Darrell Lassiter, Captain of Phenix City Police’s Criminal Investigation Division. “Citizens leave firearms in their vehicles, which are then broken into, and firearms are one of the main things they are looking for.”
Lassiter also said that most juvenile crimes are gang related and that the motive behind these crimes is to further the interest of the gang and the gang member, to give them status inside of the gang.
“The increase in gang activity comes from young people looking for a place they feel like they belong, and then they believe they find it in the gangs,” Lassiter said. “A lot of the crimes committed by juveniles are gang related, as either a way to get into the gang, or they are talked into crimes by older members who convince them that because they are juveniles the courts will be more lenient on them.”
Lassiter said that ending juvenile crime starts in the home and the community.
“As a whole, we must stay engaged with our youth. Know where they are, what they are doing, and who they are with. Begin to mentor them early. Locally, there is a great organization called Camp Swamp Fox that works with and mentors at-risk young men. The Phenix City Police Department has also started a new Junior Police Academy this summer to give kids a chance to see what police actually do and provide a positive role model.”
Chancey said if he knew the answer to what could be done to stop juvenile violence, he would write a book.
“Ultimately, I think the issues can be traced back to the home life of the child,” Chancey said. “I think our society has gotten into a situation where a lot of parents are trying to be friends with their kids. Many parents have no idea what their kids are involved in because they do not keep up with their activities.
“I think a lot of parents would be shocked to see what’s on their kids’ social media accounts. Many parents may not even be aware that their children have multiple social media accounts.”
Chancey mentioned that it’s the parents’ duty to know their children.
“I believe that it’s a parental duty to stay in their children’s business and know exactly who their children hang around and what type of activities they are engaging in. Some kids’ home lives are conducive to criminal activity. Some kids’ parents are engaging in criminal activities themselves. Some parents provide no parenting at all. Our kids learn how to act. Someone is going to teach them. It’s either a parent, other kids, street life, TV, music videos, or something else.”
Lassiter said the best way for citizens to stay safe is to be aware of their surroundings.
“Make sure you keep your firearms out of your vehicles when it is not occupied (i.e when you go in for the night). If you see something that does not look right, notify the police. Watch out for neighbors, get to know the people in your neighborhood.”
Chancey added that an engaged community is a safe community.
“Be aware of your surroundings. If you see something, say something. Be aware of your community. I don’t want people to be sheltered in their house. I think an engaged community is the best way to address the issues. Just be careful where you go at night.”
Chancey wants the community to know that rehabilitation of juveniles is the goal.
“The main goal of Juvenile Court is to rehabilitate the child. Juveniles are sentenced with that goal in mind. The hope is that any underlying issues, such as mental health or behavioral issues, can be addressed and treated so that we can prevent the child from continuing the illegal or harmful behavior.”
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