Population projections show that Boston’s youth population is expected to rise over the next decade. With this growth will come an additional need for resources, services, and activities for young people, particularly supervised activities after school in order to minimize opportunities for participation in risky behaviors or criminal activity. Tracking juvenile crime can help to determine gender and age groups that need services. For example, anecdotal data point to increasing problems of violence among young girls and the current lack of programs and services in the public safety system that are directed towards young women.
How are we doing?
Juvenile crime arrests (those aged 16 or younger) dropped 23% between 1993 and 2001, in part as a result of intense efforts by the city, the clergy and the business and philanthropic community to invest in activities and resources for young people. Most of the decline in arrests between 1993 and 2001 were explained by a 39% drop in arrests for “quality of life” crime. Although the number of arrests increased 9% between 2001 and 2003, that number fell in 2004 to slightly below juvenile crime levels in 2001. The number of arrests for violent crimes increased 16% between 1993 and 2001, and another 19% between 2001 and 2003, to the highest number over that period. The number of violent-crime arrests fell back in 2004 to near 2001 levels. |
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Click image to enlarge chart "Arrests of people 16 and under by crime type, City of Boston: 1993-2004"
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