Officials puzzled by increase in youths with weapons

David Kihara

Thursday, March 23, 2006 | 7:21 a.m.

Juvenile justice officials can't seem to explain a recent spike in juveniles arrested on gun-related charges.

In February there were 779 minors charged with gun-related offenses, up from 442 in February 2005, according to the county statistics.

But there's no reason for the 76 percent increase - there hasn't been a corresponding rise in anything that would provide a clear answer.

"There is no set pattern - it's across the board," said District Judge William Voy, who handles juvenile cases. "You get kids in gangs, and then you get kids with no gang affiliations whatsoever. It almost seems to be some fascination with guns."

The numbers have taken juvenile justice officials by surprise. They've seen minors arrested for shooting off guns in the air to impress their friends, carrying guns to school to show off or for protection, stealing guns and using guns in burglaries or robberies.

Darnell Couthen, spokesman for the Clark County School District police, said that the minors who are arrested for a gun-related offense span all socio-economic backgrounds and areas, from Cheyenne to Green Valley High School.

"It's kids being stupid," Couthen said. "They act like they're tough."

The Clark County School District also saw an increase in the number of guns officers confiscated. During the 2003-04 school year, the district confiscated 84 guns, up from 72 the year before.

Metro Police referred calls on juveniles possessing guns to the county's Juvenile Justice Services.

Some communities have created programs to curb juvenile gun offenses with alternative sentencing programs. In Birmingham, Ala., for example, a special "gun court" was created in 1995 that sent kids to a boot camp instead of behind bars and required parents to attend a workshop to educate them on the dangers of guns.

Gun-related juvenile offenses declined 38.7 percent in Birmingham after the program began, according to the Justice Department.

Although Clark County authorities can refer youths inappropriately firing off rifles on, say, BLM land to take classes on gun safety, there are no "gun court" programs for urban youths caught with a pistol in their school locker. They are arrested.

"The kids who have weapons in the community - we want to have an appropriate response," said Fritz Reese, assistant director of the Juvenile Justice Services Department. "We want them to know it's not OK to carry them around in the community."