Colorado’s Catch-And-Release Policies for Juvenile Suspects Leading To More Smash-And-Grab Burglaries

There’s been a staggering rise in the number of smash-and-grab burglaries in and around Colorado Springs, Colorado this year, and Police Chief Adrian Vasquez says many of those crimes are being committed by juveniles who are quickly let loose and sent home until their first court hearing, even if they’re suspected of multiple offenses.

Vasquez says gun stores and pawn shops are the primary targets of the 40 smash-and-grab burglaries reported in the city and surrounding area this year, and officers have identified 19 juveniles in connection with the crimes, with 11 of the suspects arrested. Of those 11, however, just 4 remain in juvenile custody.

Part of the problem, according to Vasquez, is that the law treats these smash-and-grabs as relatively minor offenses, even when the suspects cause tens of thousands of dollars in damage to the businesses they’re targeting. But the police chief, along with District Attorney Michael Allen, also point to the state’s slashing of the number of beds available to house juvenile offenders, which has resulted in a severe shortage of space to house juvenile offenders.

In 2003, Colorado legislators set a 479-bed cap on juvenile detention facilities. Over the years, the statutory cap has been cut by more than half and now stands at 215 beds. The Pikes Peak Region is allocated 27 beds at Zebulon Pike, the youth detention facility in Colorado Springs.

“With less bed space and more crime, it makes no sense,” he said. “It doesn’t match what we’re seeing here on the ground. It just simply doesn’t.”

The Division of Youth Services said there’s been a 28% increase in juvenile arrests in the state from 2021 to 2023.

Fourth Judicial District Attorney Michael Allen shares the same concerns as Chief Vasquez. Allen said the youth detention facility in Colorado Springs is often at capacity and rarely has space for new offenders.

“What we know now is that we’re almost always operating at capacity, meaning that there’s always 27 kids in custody. So if a kid commits a violent offense and is put into custody pending trial, that means another kid has to be pushed out of the other side and back into a home life that’s not supportive and law-abiding,” said District Attorney Allen. […]

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