Number of teens committing crimes stays the same, but thefts are up

New data from the Colorado Springs Police Department shows the number of juveniles committing crimes isn’t necessarily going up, but teens who are stealing is.

In total, juveniles have committed 1,159 crimes this year, not including homicide numbers that haven’t been released yet. In 2017, the number of crimes was 1,541, and in 2016 there was 1,711.

For burglary or breaking and entering, juveniles had committed the crime 57 times so far in 2018, compared to 47 in all of 2017.

Lt. Howard Black with CSPD says, “For most the part our statistics are relatively flat when it comes to juvenile crime.”

The most recent was a burglary at a local liquor store in North Colorado Springs. On Saturday night, a young man is seen walking into the front door at Liquor at Pine Creek. Another angle shows the same man walking into an aisle, lifting three bottles and then walking back through the front door without paying.

The owner, Clint Shaefer said, “I actually was busy helping customers here so I didn’t notice him really run out. The customers actually noticed him.”

Shaefer ran after him but couldn’t catch up. Even though the burglar only got away less than $100, the owners are hoping by bringing attention to this issue, no other criminal will trying getting away with alcohol at their store.