JUVENILE ARRESTS DROP MORE THAN HALF SINCE 2012
Youth involved in the juvenile justice system are more likely to have later violent felony charges.[1] For this reason, 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 arrests, including misdemeanor and felony crimes.
TREND
Juvenile arrests continue to decline. During the five-year period between 2017 and 2021, juvenile arrests in San Bernardino County dropped by 48%. In 2021, 49% of the juvenile arrests were for misdemeanor charges.
JUVENILE ARRESTS ARE DECREASING
Juvenile Arrests in San Bernardino County, 2012-2021
RACE/ETHNIC DETAIL
Black juveniles are arrested at a rate of 29.6 per 1,000 Black juveniles ages 12-17 years. This rate is significantly higher than the countywide average of 10.4 arrests per 1,000 juveniles and any other race/ethnic group. The Equity Gap Score for juvenile arrests is 8.0 – the highest Equity Gap Score documented in the Community Indicators. This score means that the arrest rate for the group of juveniles with the highest arrest rate (Black youth) is eight times higher than the arrest rate for the group of juveniles with the lowest arrest rate (Asian/ Pacific Islander youth).
BLACK JUVENILE ARREST RATE MUCH HIGHER THAN ANY OTHER GROUP
Juvenile Arrest Rate Per 1,000 by Race/Ethnicity in San Bernardino County, 2021
| Race/Ethnicity | Percent of Juvenile Arrests |
|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 3.7 |
| White | 7.0 |
| Latino | 9.9 |
| Average | 10.4 |
| Black | 29.6 |
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.