Gov. Rick Scott announced on Tuesday that juvenile arrests dropped 4 percent in the Sunshine State, reaching the lowest level in more than 30 years.
Scott showcased a report from the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) which highlights a decease in juvenile arrests by almost a third--32 percent--over the last five years.
“Florida is committed to ensuring our communities remain safe, and the ongoing decline in juvenile arrests shows that our focus on prevention programs is working,” Scott said. “We will continue to make important investments in DJJ to make Florida’s juvenile justice system a national leader and ensure our children have the support they need.”
Scott highlighted DJJ’s “Roadmap to System Excellence" which, over the last three years, has turned its attention to intervening with troubled youth and promoting transitional solutions including help with employment, education, temporary housing and transportation.
DJJ’s strategies seem to be working in the most populated parts of Florida with double digit drops in juvenile arrests in the four largest counties in the state: Broward, Hillsborough, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach.
“DJJ is committed to providing the right services for Florida’s youth while also keeping our focus on public safety,” DJJ Secretary Christina Daly said on Tuesday. “The statistics from the latest delinquency report show that the transformation of our juvenile justice system in recent years is producing results, and most importantly, producing better outcomes for the youth we serve.”
Back in May, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) announced that crime dropped 4.9 percent from 2013 to 2014, reaching a low the Sunshine State has not seen in more than four decades.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or follow him on Twitter: @KevinDerbySSN
