In the wake of a rash of high-profile car thefts 鈥� and state Republicans casting blame on a failed juvenile justice system 鈥� Democrats gathered outside the state Capitol with a plea to the media on how to cover the issue.
鈥淧lease do it with the data. Do not give me anecdotal. That is not fair to our state,鈥� said Rep. Toni Walker, a New Haven Democrat and co-chair of the state鈥檚 juvenile justice oversight committee. 鈥淥ur kids need you to put forth the truth about this whole story.鈥�
New data obtained by CT Public鈥檚 Accountability Project offers some insight into whether the significant uptick in car thefts seen between 2019 and 2020 was a one-year setback following decades of steady declines or the beginning of an upward trend.
That data shows that during the first six months of this year, car thefts are likely on pace to increase again.
Local police departments to the state鈥檚 Crime Analysis unit that for the first half of the year, car thefts in 2021 were above the , but below last year鈥檚 spike. However, because police departments are often months behind in reporting, additional thefts will continue to roll in and increase the statewide numbers. When 海角换妻 added in the entire six-month car theft count for Hartford and New Haven, two of the state鈥檚 largest cities, the statewide figures mirrored last year鈥檚 numbers at this time.
Rep. Craig Fishbein, the House minority leader of the legislature鈥檚 Judiciary Committee, hopes the data leads everyone to accept that the state has a problem that needs fixing.
鈥淐ompared year to year with an upward trend, that is significant.鈥�
He also said the anecdotes can鈥檛 be ignored. Two of the high-profile cases involve a 17-year old allegedly killing a jogger in New Britain, and another in West Hartford, where a 16-year old stole a car with a toddler inside.
While the data shows鈥痶hat overall car thefts were likely up, it is hard to blame juveniles disproportionately for the uptick versus those over age 18 because so few are arrested. The number of children arrested for stealing cars during the first half of the year is back down to 2019 levels, Judicial Branch data shows.
Several of the community providers who work with children intertwined in the juvenile justice system say the pandemic is the culprit as it festers into month 19.
They describe a logjam of referrals being made to them for those just entering the juvenile justice system as the courts resume and in-person services such as therapy for those referred to private providers wasn鈥檛 allowed to resume until July. School for many was also partially virtual.
鈥淭hey just, you had a lot of time: idle time,鈥� said Albert Ray Dancy, the leader of Pen or Pencil, a program that tries to divert Bridgeport children from prison. 鈥淭hey were left pretty much to their own devices.鈥�
Many Democrats agree, including Rep. Robyn Porter, D-New Haven.
鈥淚dle time is the devil's playground. Give these kids something productive to do. Invest in them so that we can yield some interest.鈥�
But Republicans insist that this uptick is the result of what they believe are too-lenient laws on how to respond to children who steal cars.
鈥淲hen I was growing up, if you get chickenpox, you鈥檙e home from school for two weeks. You don鈥檛 go out and steal cars, you play video games, you read some books, you know, that kind of stuff,鈥� said Fishbein.
The two factions also disagree on the solution to reversing the uptick. Democrats want the state to double down on programming for these children, while Republicans say it鈥檚 time for tougher penalties.
