Criminals are getting younger and we need more cops on the streets. Those are the findings of a University of Central Florida professor who spent months pouring over crime statistics.
He presented his findings Tuesday to county commissioners.
"Tomorrow we will bury another victim of a violent crime. I am sure you all know about the senseless death of officer Al Gordon of the Orlando Police Department," said Orange County Sheriff Kevin Beary.
The suspects in Alfred Gordon Sr.'s death are both teenagers. Davin Smith, 19, was just released from prison after a five-year sentence for armed robbery. His crime spree started that started when he was just 14-years-old. The Alfred Gordon case sums up research by a UCF professor perfectly.
"Between 2004 and 2006 there has been a 67 percent increase in the number of juvenile suspects ages 15 and under arrested in Orange County for violent crime," said Dr. Jay Corzine.
The study also shows that criminal culture is changing in neighborhoods all over Central Florida, specifically South Orange Blossom Trail and Pine Hills. Older criminals know the young ones can get lighter sentences, the report showed.
In interviews with young criminals at the Juvenile Justice Center, Corzine found that guns are easier and cheaper to buy, some $50 a pop.
Suggestions to combat this crime: have more deputies on the street working special details in targeted areas, assign more officers to truancy enforcement keeping kids in school and out of a Juvenile justice system many think is broken.
However, it's not just law enforcement that's needed. The Study says schools need more after school programs and families need more support from the community.
The study is not complete. It should be done by the end of the month. More specifics will be available when that study is finalized.