NYPD Chief on Juvenile Crime Surge and System Failures

Violent Juvenile Crime Surge

• 🚨 NYPD Chief of Department John Chell details a horrific incident where officers were attacked with makeshift weapons by a group of young individuals.
• 💡 The suspects are identified as members of Los Diablo de 42, a subset of the violent gang Trenda Ara.
• 🎯 The youngest suspect, reportedly just 12 years old, was previously arrested at age 11 for robberies in Central Park.

Failures of the Juvenile Justice System

• ⛓️ Chell expresses frustration that these young offenders, aged 12-19, are not being kept off the streets despite their violent actions, including "wolfpack robberies" and subway assaults.
• ⚠️ A specific case highlights a 12-year-old arrested in November for attempting to rob a 77-year-old woman on the subway, pushing her onto the tracks when unsuccessful.
• ⚖️ The Chief states the juvenile justice system in New York City is not working effectively to address the severity of these crimes.

Immigration Status and Deportation Concerns

• 🛂 Chell confirms that some of the arrested individuals are here illegally and questions why they cannot be deported.
• 🚫 He explains that while the NYPD's stance is that criminal status supersedes immigration status, and illegal immigrants should be removed, "sanctuary laws" prevent law enforcement from enforcing civil immigration matters.
• 🗣️ The Chief notes that while they work with federal partners on criminal investigations, civil deportation is not legally permissible for them.

Proposed Solutions and Systemic Issues

• 🏠 Chell emphasizes the need for judges to mandate secure juvenile detention facilities for offenders instead of probation, to prevent them from harming the city.
• 🚨 He highlights the critical importance of the NYPD's gang database, which allowed for quick identification of suspects, and expresses concern over calls to abolish it.
• 📢 The NYPD is requesting help from the public to find three remaining suspects accused of the attack.