WASHINGTON — D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Metropolitan Police Department Chief Robert Contee are calling for accountability when it comes to juveniles committing crimes in the District.
In the last week alone D.C. police charged at least ten people under the age of 18 for some form of weapons charge.
This week, police have charged teenagers as young as 13 and 14 for an armed carjacking on Massachusetts Avenue in Northwest, neither old enough to legally drive.
Contee said last year, the department arrested 149 people for carjacking, of them 100 were juveniles.
"I think that that's very, very telling and you look at the number of young people who've been arrested for stolen cars and stuff, those things start to really kind of paint a picture that we really have some young people that are very much in need of services," Contee said.
"Some of them may need something a little bit more stringent than just services that are being offered. Some of them may need to go sit down somewhere for a little while," Contee said.
When WUSA9 asked Contee what the consequences of a lack of accountability would be, he said it is already happening.
Bowser echoed the chief's sentiment and said children are given a lot of chances in the District, but they cannot use guns.
“We can't treat children that their actions have no consequences, all right," Bowser said. "And the council their measures that they're considering right now that you got to let your council members know we, of course, want to rehabilitate children, we're not a city that throws kids away, we give them lots of chances, but they can't use guns.”
Contee said it's concerning when young people are engaged in the type of behavior that uses firearms, but said the department is focused on guns in the hands of whoever has them, whether juveniles or adults.
He said the department is partnered with the ATF, DEA, and FBI for an initiative they plan to announce soon.
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