SIKESTON - With more young people with more idle time during the summer months, juvenile crime in the Bootheel area is again on the rise.
"During the summer months we see about a five to seven percent increase in juvenile crime," said Bill Lawson, chief juvenile officer of the 33rd Judicial Circuit.
The crimes committed by juveniles consist mainly of peace disturbances, shoplifting and property crimes, explained Lawson.
"They are usually not major offenses," agreed Sikeston DPS Captain John Martin, "but there is definitely an upswing of juvenile crime during the summer months."
Although there are many factors that influence the amount of crime among a demographic group, the nice weather which brings more people outside is a determining factor in the increase in crime in youth during the summer months, said Lawson.
Lawson denounced the idea that increased drinking and drug use are a main factor in the rise in summer crime. He said, although the drinking and drug usage are a factor in crimes, the consumption levels of drugs and alcohol normally stay constant throughout the year and therefore cannot be said to cause the seasonal increase in crime.
Although most people think of the police catching and punishing criminals, this is not the case with juveniles.
"We don't deal much with them," said Martin. "We usually just pick them up and hand them to the juvenile authorities."
If the youth is over 12, the DPS fingerprints and processes the offender, but the DPS does not keep the file. They forward it to the juvenile authorities.
After the youth is processed, the DPS is not allowed to detain a juvenile overnight. Instead, the DPS contacts the juvenile authorities, turning responsibility over to them, explained Martin.
After the youth is taken to the juvenile authorities, there are a number of steps that can be taken.
In order to rehabilitate juvenile offenders, Lawson and the juvenile authorities focus more on community service and counseling for the youth instead of prolonged detention.
Most juvenile offenders must complete a designated amount of community service hours working for such programs as the House of Refuge, the Humane Society or the Public Parks Service.
This program helps monitor where the youth are during the day and also allows them to contribute to the community and to redress their actions, said Lawson.
The juvenile office also stresses the importance of family involvement in children's life.
"We bring the kids and their parents in and talk over the events," said Lawson. "Most of the time, the parents are very cooperative and afterward do more to ensure their child is supervised and safe."
Lawson suggested that parents should become more involved in their children's lives. He says it is important to ask where, with whom and for how long their child will be out.
"When your child was 10 you knew everything about them. ... Four years later it is like you have a stranger living with you. However, at 14 kids still need guidance and positive association with their parents."
More drastic actions can be taken if the child is a repeat offender or has committed a serious crime.
A common misconception, however, is the use of the juvenile detention center as a punishment for every youth who has committed a crime.
Lawson explained the detention center has different purposes than a jail. "While it is designed to house youth who have committed serious offenses and are waiting for an appearance before a judge," said Lawson. "The kids usually stay in the center no more than five days."
After the trial, if the judge claims the child is emotionally unstable or a product of a bad home life and cannot easily receive proper help from parental figures, the youth is either put on probation or referred to the Division of Youth Services.
The DYS maintains group homes for juvenile offenders, usually serious or repeat offenders, where they are constantly monitored and given counseling until they are ready to reenter society.
Although Lawson and Martin admit they cannot stop juvenile crime completely, they ensure that the police and juvenile officers are doing all that is in their power to protect the community and provide help for misguided or troubled youth.