DCLY Report Debunks Urban Legend that Juvenile Crime Rises in Summer Months

Policymakers should focus resources on positive ways to help youth

WASHINGTON, DC – Despite the public presumption that crime goes up when kids are no longer sitting behind desks and are out on the streets during summer vacation, data from the Washington Metropolitan Police Department shows that youth are arrested less frequently during summer months when compared to the rest of the year, according to a new brief published today by DC Lawyers for Youth (DCLY).

The brief, “Debunking Urban Legends: Summer Heat, Vacation Don’t Lead to More Youth Arrests,” found that since 2007, there has been no relation to an increase in juvenile arrests during summer months (June, July and August). The report takes a look at seasonal and annual weekly averages of juvenile arrests and the seasonal average of juvenile arrests for violent offenses from 2007 to 2010. According to the brief, juvenile arrests during specific weeks of summer have been lower than the rest of the year since 2007. In 2009 and 2010, weekly arrests of juveniles were more than 8% lower during academic year weeks.

“As summer officially kicks off in the coming weeks, we wanted to make sure to get these hard facts out to the DC community,” said Daniel Okonkwo, Executive Director for DCLY. “The summer heat and the fact that kids are out of school do not lead to an automatic rise in juvenile arrests. It’s truly an urban legend and, given the recent warnings of an increase in juvenile crime this upcoming summer, we want to dispel this myth before summer break begins to ensure that bad policy is not created based on misperception.”

DCLY’s analysis reports that summer arrests were lower than the yearly weekly average in 2008 and 2009. The report also found that the only substantial seasonal spikes in juvenile arrests since 2007 occurred in the fall months of 2008 and 2009, and during the spring months of 2007, 2009 and 2010.

Juvenile arrests for violent offenses have also decreased over summer months, decreasing from spring to summer over the past four years. Furthermore, summer arrests accounted for the lower than the yearly average in the two of the four years studies (2007 and 2008).

“It pleases me to know that the many programs and activities in place in DC have made a real difference over these past years,” said Deborah Shore, Executive Director of Sasha Bruce Youthwork, one of the largest and most experienced providers of services to youth in the District. “This data corrects a commonly held assumption which expects the worst. DCLY’s analysis proves that many of the systems in place benefit not only our youth, but everyone’s overall quality of life.”

Tracy Velázquez, executive director of the Justice Policy Institute, which published a research report on the District last year, emphasized that regardless of crime trends, youth should have positive alternatives for their summer out-of-school time.  “We know that using the summer to advance education, gain job experience and develop leadership skills not only supports public safety, but also improves outcomes for youth,” stated Velázquez. “DCLY’s analysis proves that, despite the heat and humidity, summer can be a great time for youth and all residents here in the District.”

DC Lawyers for Youth seeks to improve the DC juvenile justice system by advocating for reforms that promote positive youth development, effective legal representation, and supportive relationships between the community and DC’s youth. To see more of our work, please visit www.dcly.org.

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