Some local leaders in Colorado say more teenage criminals need to be locked up

Right now Colorado limits the number of juveniles in detention facilities. Some local leaders want to raise that limit, which would essentially mean locking up more offenders who are teenagers.

Aurora City Councilman Dustin Zvonek is leading the charge from his municipality to eliminate the current cap on juvenile beds. Currently the cap sits at 215 juvenile detention beds statewide. That's less than half of what was available in 2003 as the legislature has steadily lowered the cap over time.

"I'd like to see no kids in juvenile detention, but that's not the reality of what we're facing," Zvonek said. "Aurora has significant challenges as it relates to public safety, and we're doing everything we possibly can at the municipal level."

The city passed a resolution on Monday night that will ask the state to make a change.  

"What we've seen is an escalation of crime from these kids and it's literally costing our community members their lives in some instances," he said. 

Supporters of the cap say most youth offenders are non-violent and shouldn't be behind bars. ACLU Colorado has also advocated to reduce the number of beds.