Lake Charles is seeing an increase in juvenile crime, especially violent offenses.

City police filed 802 criminal charges against youth in the first seven months of 2017 compared to 648 over that same period last year — a nearly 25 percent hike.

Two of the steepest increases were seen in homicides and burglaries, with an alarming total of five second-degree murder charges filed in 2017 compared to none the prior year, according to a recent report drafted by the department. 

Lake Charles Police Chief Dixon called the trend toward violent crime “disturbing,” a sentiment echoed by Mayor Nic Hunter. 

“I think that we have the beginnings of a situation,” Hunter said.

The two met Monday to discuss the increase along with Calcasieu Parish District Attorney John DeRosier, who called it a “symptom” of a larger issue, particularly among young black men.

The report showed that the large majority of offenders this year, about 87 percent, have been black. About 75 percent have been male.

DeRosier said criminal activity starts as young as 9 or 10 and compounds when students get to middle school.

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He said  all too often these young people feel they have no other option than a life of crime and just need a “light at the end of the tunnel.”

“They need to know that there is something in life that’s worth attaining,” DeRosier said. “They need to know that there is value in human life and that everybody has value and everybody has the ability to move forward.” 

Efforts 

DeRosier said the DA’s Office is getting ready to expand the Prosecutors’ Early Intervention Program — which identifies and treats at-risk students — to include middle schoolers in response to the growing need for early intervention.

The DA’s Office, along with the city and police, are also in discussions with the parish about extending hours for the Multi-Agency Resource Center, or MARC, a one-stop shop for processing and treating young offenders.

Dixon called MARC a “home run” and said having it open 24/7,  instead of just through 11 p.m. on weekdays and midnight on weekends, would enable officers to be more proactive; MARC can process offenders in a matter of minutes because of its unique focus, while it may take the police department hours.

Dixon said MARC also offers counseling and support to struggling parents. “It’s a wonderful, wonderful thing,” he said. 

He said the police department will also continue conducting curfew checks, in which officers ticket parents for letting their children out at night. He said the checks have been “very successful” in the past.

“I guarantee you those parents we ticketed two weeks ago we’re not going to ticket again,” Dixon said. DeRosier added that he wants to see more curfew checks in the future.

Mayor Hunter said that before the city develops a plan, it’s taking inventory of all the prevention efforts underway in Lake Charles. 

He said newly appointed assistant city administrator, Kimberly Delafosse, and administrative assistant, Karen Hardy, are busy making a comprehensive list of organizations and volunteers.

“We are putting a call out to anyone and everyone that truly wants to make a difference to get involved,” he said. 

Organization leaders and volunteers can call the Mayor’s Action Line at 337-491-1346.

“Many young children are already engaging in things like selling drugs and figuring out ways to get money by the time they’re in the fifth grade,”

4039858a-acf4-11e7-9fe0-dfd3c1c9acd12017-10-09T13:17:00ZDSCN0232.JPGSpecial to the American PressKaren Miller, sister and mother