Youth crime in Spokane County shows shift toward more violent offenses

SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — Spokane County law enforcement says there’s been an increase in violent juvenile offenses, particularly violent assaults.

Data obtained from the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office reveals a notable increase in aggravated assaults and simple assaults committed by juveniles. While not every category of juvenile offense has seen an increase, many have shown upward movement in recent years.

The Spokane County Juvenile Detention Center confirms it has experienced an increase in teen admissions, though the numbers still remain lower than pre-pandemic levels. What concerns officials more is the nature of the offenses.

“We’re seeing a lot more violence, aggression, just some brazen behaviors and just overall disregard for the community,” said Tori Peterson, Director of the Spokane Juvenile Court.

Peterson explained that many of the juveniles entering the detention system have experienced significant childhood trauma, a situation that was likely worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The isolation, the uncertainty… and then in underprivileged areas, confined to spaces and neighborhoods where there may be more or high trauma events. So now we’ve just compounded that,” Peterson said.

Both the Spokane Police Department and Spokane County Sheriff’s Office have noted the rise in youth crimes over the past few years. While the police department did not provide specific numbers, it confirmed the increasing trend.

Sheriff John Nowels believes accountability must be part of the solution.

“We have to start telling kids, listen, there’s going to be some significant consequences for these crimes you’re committing,” Nowels said.

Another concerning development noted by the detention center is that the average age of juveniles entering the system has been decreasing. With multiple kids as young as 12 being detained. This finding reinforces Peterson’s call for earlier intervention strategies.

“I think we need to understand as a community, we are seeing some scary behaviors and the violence is going up. Locking kids away is not the answer,” Peterson stated.

Instead, Petersen advocates for increased resources to support vulnerable teens, suggesting that punitive measures alone won’t address the fundamental causes of youth crime.