SAN ANTONIO — For the past two years, juvenile crime has been increasing in Bexar County. The chief juvenile probation officer said the numbers had been down since 2007. Then, in 2017 the uptick started.
“I wish there was a simple answer,” Lynne Wilkerson said.
Wilkerson oversees the county’s juvenile rehabilitation and detention facilities as well as the juvenile detention and probation employees. The system is set up to hold offenders accountable while cultivating an atmosphere for achievement.
“We moved away from strict offense-based decision making,” she said. “So, that fact that it's a felony or misdemeanor is less important than what kind of offense it was. What the child’s involvement was.”
According her office’s most recent statistics from 2017 to August 2019, violent referrals for juveniles is up nearly 39 percent. Murders and Manslaughter jumped up 20 percent. Young sexual assaults suspects grew by 51 percent. Adolescent robbery offenders increased by 89 percent. Aggravated assault referrals edged up 19 percent.
The total number of violent crimes moved up almost 39 percent.
“Yeah, the percentages of violent crime increases are high,” Wilkerson said.
The actual number of reports are lower. Theft, for instance, showed a 110 percent bump. The total number of thefts in 2018 was 18. Year-to-date in 2019, there are 21 cases reported.
Wilkerson's preliminary belief is the surge comes from more cases reported and being prosecuted than in previous years.
There is an indisputable rise in drug offenses she said is connected to teens and THC oil. “Instead of smoking marijuana now they’ve kind of moved to the THC oil,” she said.
According to Wilkerson, teens are using the THC oil in vaping pens or in edible items. The weight of those items is factored in making it a controlled substance. That subsequently changes the level of the crime.
“We should all be concerned,” Wilkerson said. “We should all take our part in doing what little piece we can do. You know, not just juvenile probation, but every single person.”
The focus is on violent offenders, most of whom are males.
“Over the years, we realized that we need to focus on these very kids. And this is why we’re adjusting our programming as we go forward,” she said.
They are working to intervene and support those teenagers who want to make changes.