Issues on teen crimes getting addressed – or not – this legislative session

We’ve reported on the troubling trend in Western Washington of more crimes committed by young people.

The latest law enforcement numbers show juvenile arrests across Washington went up 35% between 2021 and 2022. According to the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, they were on the decline for a decade before that.

There’s also a sense that there are no real consequences for teen criminals even after an arrest.

Sgt. Darren Moss with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department said something adding to the perception is a law that took effect in 2021. It requires law enforcement to put a juvenile in contact with an attorney before asking them any questions.

But Moss said the policy also impedes investigations.

“I think the consequences to that bill are a lot harsher than what they thought they would be,” Moss said. “No attorney is ever going to let us talk to their client, especially if they have no idea what’s going on. We call them on the phone at two in the morning. Hey, can we talk to this kid because he stole a car and shot somebody? No, I can’t.”

KIRO 7′s Deedee Sun asked state legislators if that law is something they’d consider changing this year.

Some lawmakers say the policy might need adjustments.

“We have the sheriffs we have police chiefs, prosecutors, say this is unworkable… we just essentially handcuffed them,” said Sen John Braun (R-Centralia) in the beginning of the legislative session. “What we ought to be able to do is listen to the professionals in this business. And the professionals in this business say we got this bill wrong, we gotta re-think it.”

But the idea of changing the policy never gained traction – and is not changing in Washington law this session.

Instead, House Bill 2217 has passed the House to change when certain teens will be charged as adults versus juveniles.

Right now, if a 17-year-old commits a crime, but ends up being charged when they’re 18, the case goes through adult court.

That’s what happened in a Lakewood “Kia Boyz” case, where the suspects were arrested months later in Bellevue.

The bill, which passed the House 54 to 43, wants to make sure if the crime was committed when someone was a minor, it will be prosecuted through juvenile court, with exceptions for certain violent crimes.

One sponsor of the bill, Rep Julip Cortes (D-Everett) said getting charged as an adult says how long it takes for a case to process. It shouldn’t lead to a harsher outcome for one juvenile versus another.

“Of course, this has a detrimental effect on that young person because the adult criminal justice system is not made to support the rehab of young people,” Cortes said.

As for tackling teen crimes overall, some lawmakers are pointing to more long-term solutions.

“High-quality early learning is the number one way to change the trajectory of a child’s life,” said Sen. Andy Billig  (D-Spokane, Majority Leader). “We know from a lot of documentation it means fewer kids committing crimes, fewer adults in jails.”

House Bill 2217 passed the Senate on Tuesday and will have a public hearing at 8 a.m. on Wednesday.

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