GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker says it's easy to see that juvenile crime is on the rise.
"Probably one of the most frustrating things we're dealing with right now," he says.
Becker says it really began during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when kids were stuck at home and may have been looking for ways to lash out, and that rise has steadily continued year by year.
The frustration comes because he legally can't do much about it.
"We don't really have great options of what to do with them," says Becker.
He says right now, the Kent County Juvenile Detention Center has 98 beds inside, and they're all full.
"That's clearly not enough for all the juveniles that are being picked up and we don't have a place to put them," says Becker.
While a tether is an option, essentially a house arrest, Becker says he wishes there was something in between. For now, he believes the best option is educating parents to keep their kids out of trouble.
"How do you get to these families? Because a lot of times the families have issues, it's not just the kid," says Becker. "There's a bigger issue, how do you fix that family? That's going to be the route right now."
And while there aren't many legal options available, he wants the community to know he and his office are doing everything they can to hold juvenile criminals accountable.
"I think there's a misconception out there that, you know, law enforcement isn't doing anything," says Becker. "We're doing what we can, be it at the police, be it the prosecutor's office, we're doing everything we can to arrest, charge, you know, and work the juveniles through the system the best we can."
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