COLUMBUS, Ohio ( WCMH ) – Numerous residents and officials in Franklin County are calling for harsher juvenile car theft penalties, clashing with an initiative that aims to minimize the incarceration of minors.
Juvenile car thefts in Franklin County remain higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic, when the county initially saw a spike. There was an 83% increase from 2019 to 2022 in the average monthly stolen vehicle case filings in Franklin County Domestic Relations and Juvenile Court.
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The number of monthly filings reached its peak since pre-pandemic levels in 2023, at an average of 94. The average monthly filing was 77 in 2022, 55 in 2021 and 42 in 2019, according to data published by the court.
Between January 2021 and July 2023, 1,116 juveniles were charged in stolen car cases in Franklin County. During that time, 34%, or 400 minors, were charged with multiple stolen car cases.
According to Columbus Division of Police Lt. Brian Steel, the most common crimes police see among juveniles is being in possession of an illegal weapon and stealing cars, and right now, he said the number of those offenses are “probably higher than [he’s] ever seen.” He called for reforming the juvenile justice system.