Although their numbers are small, they are responsible for a disproportionate amount of crime. However, once they became involved in it, eighty-seven percent of them did not commit any crimes making our community a safer place to both live and work. They regularly display early minor behavioral problems that progress to more serious crimes. C. Have in the proceeding 12 months a minimum of four delinquent police contacts. D. Acquire at least 35 points with the points being awarded on the basis of the type of crime committed.
Juvenile crime is a growing concern throughout the United States.
A few years ago, the citizens of St. Clair County started to see a disturbing trend. Many of our troubled youth were becoming repeat offenders who were increasingly involved in serious, violent crimes. Historically, dealing with these SHO s has been a problem. Quite often state legislation and individual agency policies have restricted the information sharing and cooperation necessary to both protect the community and rehabilitate these delinquent children. The true extent of their criminal activity was often never realized and the decisions about them were based upon isolated incidents instead of a totality of circumstances.