TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The number of juvenile arrests in Florida continued to decline in 2017-2018, according to the latest delinquency report released Monday by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Juvenile felony arrests dropped 10 percent over the last fiscal year and overall juvenile arrests declined 8 percent in the same time frame. These declines continue the multiyear trend of fewer arrests, with a five-year decline of 24 percent, resulting in the lowest number of juvenile arrests in 43 years.
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"Helping young people turn around their lives for the better is what we all strive for every day, and we remain focused on investing in our youth and helping them achieve a brighter future," Florida Department of Juvenile Justice Interim Secretary Timothy Niermann said.
The current report, covering a five-year period, also shows a 13 percent decrease in armed robbery, a 20 percent decrease in burglary arrests, and a 42 percent decrease in stolen property arrests. Overall misdemeanor offenses also decreased by 9 percent during the last fiscal year.
The Fourth Judicial Circuit, which includes Jacksonville, Clay and Nassau counties, saw a 24 percent drop in arrests over the previous year, although arrests for some violent crimes and weapons violations have either held steady or increased.
The five counties with the largest populations in Florida continue to show decreases in juvenile arrests over the last fiscal year. The county demonstrating the largest drop was Orange with a 19 percent decrease, followed by Miami Dade with a 16 percent reduction, Hillsborough County with an eight percent decrease, Broward with a 7 percent decrease and Pinellas County with a 2 percent decline in juvenile arrests.