Police officers in Chatham-Kent are seeing a drastic increase in the number of calls involving young people.
According to a recent Chatham-Kent Police Services Board report, officers responded to 2,118 calls involving youth in 2023, a 42.4 per cent increase in comparison to the year before.
Out of all of the calls, 111 youths were charged last year compared to 36 in 2022. Those youth faced a total of 224 charges, a significant jump from 81 in 2022.
The average age of youth who were involved in criminal activity last year was 14, and over 70 per cent of last year’s occurrences involved male youths.
The most predominant charges faced by youth in 2023 were for assault, sexual assault, assault with a weapon, mischief and threats.
While the vast majority of calls involving youth in 2023 did not result in charges, the number of youth warned or cautioned by officers increased by 75 per cent year over year. The calls also included provincial offences that did not require criminal consideration, as well as domestic and family disputes.
“CKPS is using multi-partnered approaches to punitive action and progressive discipline when dealing with youth and laying appropriate criminal charges when required,” police said in the report.
CK police said their goal is to keep youth out of the judicial system and when possible provide long-term solutions with consistent considerations.
“Chatham-Kent faces significant challenges with youth; more are displaced, coupled with a lack of resources and waitlists to support families in crisis,” police said. “This increase also would be indicative of a need for more youth-related services within the interdisciplinary social services.”
The Chatham-Kent Police Service continues to work closely with local schools when approaching complex youth issues and provides a youth officer for students when needed.
Restorative Justice Chatham-Kent is also a main partner of the police service for successfully taking a large majority of diverted youth.