Over the years while in the process of arresting someone I've encountered several examples and even been handed a Monopoly "get out of jail free cards". It was pretty funny at the time, but it didn't work. Unfortunately for our community the Louisville Metro Youth Detention Center (formerly JCYC) has given every little thug in Jefferson County an unlimited supply of these that do work.
Recently representatives from the youth center had been making roll calls at all of the police divisions. Some of these meetings turned pretty ugly. The youth center as a federal grant so they will try and track crimes committed etc. etc. etc. in the Louisville Metro area.
The break down is this... Unless a child (16-18) commits a felony, he or she will never step foot inside a cell. There are a few exemptions to this new rule:
If the child commits misdemeanor domestic violence assault, he/she can be taken into custody, because LMYDC policies cannot supersede State law where it says the perp shall be arrested.
If the child's arrest involves a firearm or deadly weapon, he/she can be taken into custody.
If the child has an active bench warrant or order OTC (order to take into custody.)
If the Officer requests that the child be reviewed by a judge for detention purposes with specific reasoning. For example, violent behavior that does not constitute a felony.
In the absence of any of the aforementioned exemptions, here are the new guidelines:
Detain them
Attempt to contact a parent or guardian to come and sign for them
If a parent or guardian cannot be found, contact a Court Designated Worker and transport them to the YMCA Safe Place facility located at 2400 Crittenden Drive
Have a YMCA Safe Place employeee sign for the child
Leave
Thats right, leave. Leave this child, who has just committed a crime, at a non-secure facility. A non-secure facility with other children who have not committed crimes. A non-secure facility that lacks the training and resources to prevent this child from committing further crimes.
But here is the big one. This one here takes the cake. Guess what happens after we leave and that child decides that he or she wants to leave also?
Nothing...They are free to go.
That's right. It's not a typo. They can actually walk out the door without fear of being chased down. Since the YMCA is a non-secure facility, the staff cannot hold them there against their will, they must let them go.
If I lived in that neighborhood or if I was a business owner in the area, I would be concerned, very concerned.
Many individuals in the past have gotten in trouble with the law and a trip to the detention center brought them back into focus. Was the center so overcrowded that they couldn't handle the volume of youth offenders? Not according to the staff that works there. Is this just another example of do-good er mentality run amuck? It sure looks that way.I had a run to a local hospital recently where a child had cut school and stole some alcohol and she proceeded to get very drunk. She physically assaulted her mother and they took her to the hospital because of the high level of intoxication. The parents wanted me to take her to jail, but I had to inform them that I was unable to do that because she was intoxicated. LMYDC will not accept anyone under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Had she not been drunk she could have been arrested for the domestic violence related assault. Had she just merely been drunk or on drugs I could have dropped her off at the YMCA safe place which as I mentioned before she could walk right out of. Is this a crazy way to deal with juvenile crimes or what?
Not every kid needs to go to jail. Every adult does't need to get arrested either but that is why we are allowed a certain amount of discretion. Unfortunately those discretionary powers have been stripped from us in all but the most severe cases.
Over the years I can't tell you how many times I have arrested juveniles and that was the only way to get them into the system for treatment or counseling. I can't tell you how many times I have had parents beg me to take their kids to jail for the obvious abject lesson that it was.
Now it seems that if you are a youth and you steal (under $300), threaten, menace, harass and even assault someone the President of the Louisville Metro Youth Detention Center has handed you a "GET OUT OF JAIL FREE" card. Go ahead and shoplift. Go ahead and beat up you neighbors kid (just don't use a weapon). Go ahead and threaten to kill someone, because you won't be going to jail for any of those offenses unless you are an adult.