Juvenile Arrests

Statistics from the Sykesville Police Department show an increase in juvenile arrests, assaults and speeding citations in 1993.The report, issued last week, detailed a 33 percent decrease in adult arrests and a 267 percent increase in the number of juveniles arrested by the six-member town force.Most juvenile offenses involved malicious destruction, vandalism and mischievous crimes, said Officer Onas W. Jansen III."One or two juveniles in particular are responsible for about a quarter of those arrests," said Officer Jansen, who has been on the job for nearly a year.

The following is compiled from local police reports. Our policy is to include descriptions when there is enough information to make identification possible. If you have any information about these crimes, call the Wilkens Police Station at 410-887-0872. Virginia Avenue, 2500 block, between 2:30 p.m., March 7, and 11 a.m. March 8. Cash stolen after front door forced open. Lakebrook Circle, 2900 block, between 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., March 7. Laptop stolen from unlocked residence.

The number of reported robberies and auto thefts in Howard County declined sharply last year while the number of juvenile arrests jumped significantly, according to year-end crime statistics released by county police yesterday. Robberies decreased by 30 percent and car thefts by 32 percent between 1999 and last year, police said. Juvenile arrests increased by nearly 24 percent during the same period. Overall, the crime rate in the county remained fairly static, even as the population in the county continued to grow, police said.

Two juveniles were arrested in the burning of a wooden cross in the driveway of a Westminster home late Sunday night, according to the Carroll County Sheriff's Office. Detectives and representatives of the Fire Marshall's Office responded to the 500 block of Ravenshead Run Road just after 11 p.m., when the burned religious symbol was found, the sheriff's office said. Meanwhile, sheriff's deputies were conducting an investigation in the area for a separate call and were able to identify and locate two juvenile suspects in the cross burning, the sheriff's office said.

Over the weekend, the arrest of a 19-year-old man on a handgun charge caught my eye. His name? Omar Little. That of course is the name of the iconic stick-up man from "The Wire," a show that was based heavily on real people and events from Baltimore's crime history. Though the Omar character  was said to be based on several people - Shorty Boyd, Donnie Andrews, Ferdinand Harvin, Billy Outlaw and Anthony Hollie - none of them were actually named "Omar Little. "  I reached out to the show creator and former Sun reporter David Simon to see whether there was, in fact, an Omar Little who Simon or his writing partners had come across and used as the namesake for the character.

With plenty of evidence to refute the need to spend millions to build a jail for juveniles, it would not be far-fetched to expect Gov. Martin O'Malley to instead focus his attention - and our state's precious resources - on projects that prevent youth from engaging in crime. Sadly, that would be a mistake. Recently, Governor O'Malley decided to double-down on the misguided plan to spend more than $70 million building a youth detention facility in Baltimore that studies show is not needed and could ultimately end up being a colossal waste of taxpayer funds.

First-time juvenile offenders in Annapolis will be offered an alternative to a juvenile record with the start of a new program offered by police. The Juvenile Offenders in Need of Supervision Program, or JOINS, will give first-time offenders under the age of 18, who admit to minor crimes and agree to enter into the 90-day program, a chance to expunge their record, if the victim agrees. "It's for those kids that you can work with and give the right attention to. They need to be given a second chance," said Det. Shelley White, director of the program.

RECENTLY released statistics on juvenile arrests look lik progress, but it's far too early to declare victory.The state's 7 percent reduction in juvenile arrests for violent crime from 1996 to 1997 is an indicator that doesn't tell us about crimes committed by teens who have not been taken into police custody for their misdeeds.Moreover, the juvenile justice system is in no danger of going out of business.Still, the results look impressive: Juvenile arrests in connection with serious crimes -- murder, robbery, rape and aggravated assault -- were down substantially.

Howard County police and prosecutors say juvenile crime is soaring, with arrests this year already surpassing the total for 1993.And authorities don't expect the numbers to get any better."

The Howard County Police Department has formed a new youth mentoring program to help curb the county's continuing problem with juvenile crime.The program, Cops As Peers (CAP), pairs volunteer police officers with youths in need of positive role models. Many of the children are identified by teachers or by officers during their trips through neighborhoods, said Sgt. Rick Maltz, a coordinator of the program."We're trying to make a difference in tomorrow one day at a time," Sergeant Maltz said.

With plenty of evidence to refute the need to spend millions to build a jail for juveniles, it would not be far-fetched to expect Gov. Martin O'Malley to instead focus his attention - and our state's precious resources - on projects that prevent youth from engaging in crime. Sadly, that would be a mistake. Recently, Governor O'Malley decided to double-down on the misguided plan to spend more than $70 million building a youth detention facility in Baltimore that studies show is not needed and could ultimately end up being a colossal waste of taxpayer funds.

Over the weekend, the arrest of a 19-year-old man on a handgun charge caught my eye. His name? Omar Little. That of course is the name of the iconic stick-up man from "The Wire," a show that was based heavily on real people and events from Baltimore's crime history. Though the Omar character  was said to be based on several people - Shorty Boyd, Donnie Andrews, Ferdinand Harvin, Billy Outlaw and Anthony Hollie - none of them were actually named "Omar Little. "  I reached out to the show creator and former Sun reporter David Simon to see whether there was, in fact, an Omar Little who Simon or his writing partners had come across and used as the namesake for the character.

Four juveniles were arrested Saturday night after running through the Inner Harbor and reportedly causing a disturbance. Baltimore police were called at about 9:40 p.m. The youths' ages were unknown, police said. — By Raven L. Hill

Baltimore County police said a male juvenile was arrested for trespassing near Towson Town Center about 9 p.m. Saturday. The juvenile was taken to the Towson precinct and charged, according to police. In a separate incident, David Keating, a spokesman for General Growth Properties, the owner of the mall, said a group of 10 to 12 girls "apparently got into some kind of verbal confrontation. " "Our security approached them at that point and they left the mall," he said.

Police have arrested two juveniles in a series of robberies and carjackings in the Remington and Charles Village areas. After receiving reports of a rash of incidents in recent weeks and recovering a stolen car on Exeter Hall Avenue, the Regional Auto Theft Task Force began paying closer attention to the area, said Anthony Guglielmi, the department's chief spokesman. Task force members located two more stolen vehicles and arrested two juveniles, one of whom confessed to several of the crimes, Guglielmi said.

First-time juvenile offenders in Annapolis will be offered an alternative to a juvenile record with the start of a new program offered by police. The Juvenile Offenders in Need of Supervision Program, or JOINS, will give first-time offenders under the age of 18, who admit to minor crimes and agree to enter into the 90-day program, a chance to expunge their record, if the victim agrees. "It's for those kids that you can work with and give the right attention to. They need to be given a second chance," said Det. Shelley White, director of the program.

Car thefts in Anne Arundel County soared in the first three months of 1995, spurring a 17.4 percent increase in property crimes that county police say was caused mainly by juveniles.Police had long suspected a link between the rise in property crimes and juvenile arrests, said Officer Randy Bell, department spokesman."We took a look at the juvenile arrests, and lo and behold, there it was, juvenile arrests up in a number of categories," Officer Bell said.Juveniles, alone or in small groups, were responsible for a 24.4 percent increase in vandalism, police said.

Howard County police and prosecutors say juvenile crime is soaring, with arrests this year already surpassing the total for 1993.And authorities don't expect the numbers to get any better."

African-American children in Maryland are being arrested at a rate nearly three times higher than their white counterparts, a gap that continues to widen because of law enforcement practices and failures of school personnel to distinguish between delinquent behavior and children simply acting out, according to a report released Tuesday by a nonprofit group. The study, conducted by Advocates for Children and Youth, is based on results of interviews with social service workers and information obtained from Maryland State Police from 2005 through 2008.

Two juveniles have been arrested in a series of arson fires in Taneytown in late July and early August, authorities said yesterday. The state fire marshal's office and the Taneytown Police Department have been investigating the fires and have arrested three people, said Faron Taylor, deputy state fire marshal. Yesterday, a 16-year-old and 17-year-old, both of Taneytown, were arrested and charged with malicious burning in the fires. Taylor said the youths were released to the custody of their parents and the case turned over to the Department of Juvenile Justice.