ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida yet again saw a drop in juvenile arrests during 2016-2017, bringing the state to a historic 42-year low, with Orange County leading the way.
Orange County saw a 15 percent decrease -- or 1,006 less -- in juvenile arrests, which was more of a drop than any other county in the state. Overall for Florida, the drop was 7 percent, bringing the state to a five-year decline of 24 percent.
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Other counties that saw the largest reduction in juvenile arrests were Hillsborough County with a 14 percent decrease, Broward County with a 7 percent decrease, Miami-Dade County with a 7 percent decrease and Palm Beach County with a 4 percent decline.
Officials said the overall decline also includes a 15 percent decrease in murder/manslaughter arrests and a 7 percent decrease in aggravated assault arrests, as well as other felonies.
“Our state has made significant strides in reforming our juvenile justice system and I am proud to announce today that juvenile arrests have dropped to a historic 42-year low. Today’s announcement would not be possible without Florida’s juvenile detention and probation officers, who work each day to redirect our youth to a successful path," Gov. Rick Scott said in a news release.
Scott added that he plans to fight for a pay increase juvenile detention and juvenile probation officers.
While juvenile arrests were down overall, Volusia and Brevard counties did see slight increases. There were 129 more juvenile arrests in Brevard County than the previous year and Volusia County had 52 more juvenile arrests.
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