Youth crime up in Hamilton for the first time in 8 years
Kelly Bennett | CBC News | Posted: May 11, 2017 3:47 PM | Last Updated: May 11, 2017
Violent youth crime was up 18 per cent
Youth crime increased in Hamilton for the first time in eight years in 2016, with a dramatic jump in violent crime part of the new numbers.
A new report going to the police services board Thursday shows the number of young people aged 12 to 17 involved in crime in Hamilton rose 1.5 per cent in Hamilton, to a total of 1,595 youth.
That compared to a drop across the country of two per cent.
Violent crime was up among that demographic by 18 per cent compared to the year before. In 2016, 510 young people were involved in violent crime.
Even though it's not included in these numbers, youth crime is at the forefront of the city's consciousness as police cope with a rash of shootings over the last month, several of which involve teens.
Two teens were arrested this week in connection with a violent break-in and shooting that sent a man to hospital with life-threatening injuries. And a shooting a few days earlier injured an 18-year old.
In 2015, the year before these numbers, Mayor Fred Eisenberger launched a task force to try to address youth violent crime.
Sgt. Jon Alsbergas told the police services board that much of that 18 per cent increase can be attributed to an increase in uttering threats.
The number of firearm-related offences decreased from 2015 to 2016, he said.
"It actually isn't as significant as it first appears," he said.
Looking at just property crimes in 2016, the number of young people committing property crimes dropped 3.7 per cent from the year earlier.
In the report, police said that of the 510 young people involved in violent crime, nearly two-thirds, or 65 per cent, were not charged and were instead dealt with through an "extra-judicial measure" like a warning or a diversion program.
The same approach was applied to property crime and drug crimes, with the majority of occurrences being dealt with in an extra-judicial way.
The goal of the extra-judicial tools are "to repair the harm, not to be punitive," Alsbergas said.
Police dealt with more youth outside of the formal justice system, an approach that is encouraged by the Youth Criminal Justice Act, than they did the year before.
"It is not clear whether youth crime in Hamilton will continue to increase contrary to national trends or decrease in future years," the report said.
The report said the service will "continue to find new ways to engage, educate and prevent youth crime and violent crime."