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St. Louis County family court, police chiefs association working on changes to juvenile system

The leader of the St. Louis Area Police Chiefs Association says crimes involving guns and stolen cars could result in longer holding times for juveniles.

LADUE, Mo. — The St. Louis Area Police Chiefs Association (SLAPCA) has worked with the St. Louis County Family Court to come up with a solution to slow the spike in juvenile crime.

St. Louis County police said they arrested 60 juveniles related to vehicle crimes in 2022. Nearly 20 more juvenile arrests than in 2021.

"Officers, victims everyone gets frustrated when you have crime after crime, and we are presenting cases, and nothing is done with the cases,” SLAPCA’s chairman and Ladue Police Chief Ken Andreski said. “You feel like you are spinning your wheels. Instead of having a catch and release or release to parents in a short amount of time. They will start holding those juveniles and putting them in front of judges."

Juvenile crimes receive a score. The higher the score, the more severe the punishment. Now the court can override points and hold victims at the facility based on a juvenile officer's discretion according to a family court spokesperson.

"They are overriding some of the points system when there's stolen cars involved, tampering involved and especially when there are guns involved,” the Ladue chief said.

Andreski said he would like politicians in Jefferson City to make legislative changes. The chief used a recent law in Illinois as an example of a change he’d like to see.

"In Illinois they recently passed (a law) where entering into vehicles is a burglary,” the chief said. “We don't have that here in Missouri but it's something we can look at."

He reminds people that personal safety starts with the individual. Be vigilant of your surroundings. Remove valuables from vehicles and lock them up.

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