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Juvenile Arrests

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JUVENILE ARRESTS DROP BY ALMOST HALF OVER 10-YEAR PERIOD 

Youth involved in the juvenile justice system are more likely to face violent felony charges later in life.[1] In recent decades, the number of juvenile arrests has been declining as law enforcement increasingly works to address youth delinquency without a formal arrest, instead opting for diversion strategies such as behavior management, conflict resolution, bullying prevention, after-school recreation, mentoring, and partnering with school organizations. This indicator tracks juvenile arrest rates, including misdemeanor as well as felony crimes.  

TREND

Between 2014 and 2023, the number of juvenile arrests declined 48% from 6,360 to 3,338, respectively. In 2023, 57% of juvenile arrests were for misdemeanor offenses.  

JUVENILE CRIME REMAINS RELATIVELY STABLE
Juvenile Arrests in San Bernardino County, 2014-2023

Note: Data for 2020 and 2021 are unusually low due to COVID-19 shutdowns.

Source: San Bernardino County Probation Department, Research Unit

RACE/ETHINICITY DETAIL

A majority of juvenile arrests (57%) involve teens identified as Latino and another 27% are of teens identified as Black. In the accompanying chart, the distribution of the San Bernardino County youth population by race and ethnicity is provided for context. 

JUVENILE ARRESTS BY RACE/ETHNICITY GENERALLY MISALIGNED WITH THE UNDERLYING POPULATION DISTRIBUTION
Distribution of Juvenile Arrests and Youth Population (Ages 12-17 Years) by Race/Ethnicity in San Bernardino County, 2023

Note: To understand the distribution of arrests of youth from different racial or ethnic groups, the chart displays the number of youth from each racial or ethnic group that were arrested as a percentage of all youth who were arrested, compared to each race or ethnic group’s percentage of the total youth population. For example, if 100 youth were arrested, and 27 of the youth arrested identify as Black, 27% of the youth arrested identify as Black.  This can be compared to Black youth’s share of the overall population of youth.  For example, if 27% of the youth arrested identify as Black, and 7% of all youth are Black, students who identify as Black are overrepresented among youth arrests.

Sources: San Bernardino County Probation Department, Research Unit; California Department of Finance, Table P-3

[1] Copeland, W., Tong, G., Gifford, E., Easter, M., Shanahan, L., Swartz, M., & Swanson, J. (2022). Adult criminal outcomes of juvenile justice involvement. Psychological Medicine, 1-8.
Note: A felony charge is any crime where someone can be sentenced for more than one year. 

1Only violent and property crimes (considered Part I crimes) are included in the crime rate for this indicator. Part II crimes (which include such crimes as embezzlement, forgery, disorderly conduct, and driving under the influence) are not included. By some estimates, Part II crimes account for about 60% of total crimes reported in San Bernardino County. 2In 2015, the Department of Justice reporting requirements changed and several sex crimes that were previously reported as Part II crimes were recategorized to Part I crime. 3The total count of juvenile arrests is inclusive of arrests made by various law enforcement agencies.