YOUTH DRUG OFFENCES SOAR, BUT FEWER TEEN CRIMES VIOLENT

Hamilton saw a slight increase in youth crime last year despite
a general drop over the past 11 years.

And, while statistics for most types of youth crime have generally
dropped, youth involvement in drug offences is up a staggering 97 per
cent since 1996, according to a report presented to the Hamilton
Police Services Board last night.

"It's important to note that the vast majority of this involvement is
for simple possession," youth services co-ordinator Sergeant Will
Mason told the board.

Mason said 265 out of 320 youth caught had very small amounts of
marijuana.

"A lot of that is attributable to an increase in thorough new drug
sweep programs."

Overall youth crime increased 7 per cent last year over 2006. Compared
to 1996, overall youth crime dropped 26 per cent.

The board also heard that youth involvement in violent crime is down 7
per cent since 1996, and involvement in property crime is down 37 per
cent.

Police say they are having good success with their referral program,
which sends young people to a community agency to deal with their
offending behaviours rather than through the courts.

While serious and repeat youth offenders are sent to face a judge,
"we're trying to divert the majority of youth out of the criminal
justice system and into intervention and supports," Mason said.

As a result, 218 of 235 of youth dealt with through referral
successfully completed the program, and of the 50 sent to the specific
youth drug diversion program, only one was re-arrested on a drug charge.

Meanwhile, police say their five-year-old Gangs and Weapons
Enforcement Unit has done well fighting 14 street gangs in Hamilton,
both homegrown and from neighbouring communities such as Toronto.

Last year, "159 gang members and associates were arrested with 448
criminal charges," said Deputy Chief Ken Leendertse.

The unit seized 40 firearms along with more than $790,000 worth of
drugs, and seized more than $100,000 in crime proceeds.

"By attacking the drug problem and the firearms on the streets, we're
suppressing the gang activity in our community and having some
success," Leendertse said.