Mayor Brandon Scott discusses Baltimore's efforts to cut down juvenile crime
Violent crime among minors remains a concern in Baltimore after police responded to several incidents this past weekend.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said juvenile arrests are down in Baltimore, but the issue is the repeat offenders, and a small number of teens continuing to cause trouble.
"We cannot allow those few to ruin it for the many," Scott said while visiting the WJZ studio on Monday. "The few are the exception, the ones getting into trouble week after week, month after month."
Weekend crime involving minors
This past weekend, officers responded to an armed robbery involving juveniles at a 7-11 convenience store near Baltimore's Washington Monument, on North Charles Street, according to police.
CBS News Baltimore obtained video showing a teenager threatening workers with a hot pink colored weapon.
The owner said, "They stole the chips and the slushy, and then they started getting aggressive. All of a sudden, they tried to attack one of my cashiers. Then, he tried to protect himself."
The group smashed his lottery terminal, cash register, and more equipment. One person even threw a Slurpee.
Also, a 38-year-old man was allegedly attacked and stabbed by a group of juveniles near the Inner Harbor, according to police. He suffered injuries to his body and his head.
Concerns with repeat juvenile offenders
Mayor Scott said police will be out enforcing the law, but it's also up to the Juvenile Justice System to do its part, especially for repeat offenders.
"We are also going to have accountability, and we know this is not just about the police department. The police are going to be out there doing work and making the arrests," Scott said. "But when we are consistently seeing the same young people over and over, and quite frankly, the same adults, that's when we need to have a discussion about the system."
The mayor said the Juvenile Justice System needs to be "built from the bottom up."
He said cooperation is needed all around between the police, the State's Attorney's Office, and DJS.
"The system that we have today does not work, and we need to build it from the bottom up," Scott said. "That's my commitment to partner with our partners in the state to do just that."
Summer youth programs
With schools coming to a break next month, Scott said he has Summer Youth Engagement strategies, as a place for the youth to safely attend.
The mayor said there will be pool parties, late night events at Baltimore recreation centers, and other get-togethers.
He also highlighted that six new recreation centers will be completed this year. Two have already opened.
"I see through our youth engagement so many young folks that may have been on the wrong side that we get back on the right track," Scott said. "But then there's that small few, when we are talking about thousands of kids in the city, you are talking about a very small percentage of them that are the repeat offenders and the ones getting into trouble."
The city also helps thousands of young people, between the ages of 14 and 21, find summer jobs with businesses, nonprofits, and government offices in Baltimore. You can find more information here.
