Property crime, including auto thefts, are on the rise in Kansas City, increasing by 31% between 2019 and 2023.
Some people, including KCPD Chief Stacey Graves, are pointing the finger at juveniles for the crime wave and say there needs to be tougher punishments. But Theresa Byrd, deputy court administrator of the16th Circuit Court of Jackson County, Missouri, said that's not the reality.
"The children may not be held in our secure detention center, but believe me, if the offense warrants it, there is prosecution that occurs, and as a result of the prosecution, if there is adjudication, then services are delivered in order to provide effective and efficient rehabilitation for that youth and to also address the problems within the family," Byrd told KCUR's Up To Date.
Monica Hutchinson-Penrose, the acting juvenile officer and director of legal services in Jackson County Family Court said that from January 2024 to the end of August 2024, the family court received 1,105 delinquency referrals.
Compare that to 2023, when the court received 1,155 referrals for the entire year.
While some are calling for harsher penalties, including jail time, Hutchinson-Penrose said that can be worse for the kids.
"If you just lock a child up, then statistically, it shows that that leads to a worse outcome, a greater rate of recidivism," Hutchinson-Penrose said. "We do have diversion programs that statistically are bearing out to show that they are really effective. For example, youth who have been diverted and have not had a formal case filed, there is a 92% success rate where they don't get another referral."
- Monica Hutchinson-Penrose, the acting juvenile officer and director of legal services, Jackson County Family Court
- Theresa Byrd, deputy court administrator, 16th Circuit Court of Jackson County, Missouri
