Whitman Youth Crime Reports Up Sharply 67 Cases Filed In ‘95; Already 65 As ‘Kids Commit More Serious Crimes’

Reports of serious juvenile crime in Whitman County have jumped dramatically in the past six months.

Less than six months into the year, authorities have filed nearly as many cases as they did in all of 1995, said Jack Lien, juvenile and family court administrator.

“We’re seeing kids commit more serious crimes,” Lien said Monday. “Rather than shoplifting, they’re bold enough to commit burglaries.”

In all of 1995, said Lien, the county had 67 juvenile cases filed for prosecution. So far this year, there have been 65, he said.

Part of the increase is the work of “trackers,” juvenile officers who check on young offenders and find they are violating probation or agreements to behave properly.

But Lien estimated that at least half of this year’s cases involve new offenders.

Lien said about nine youths are currently on felony probation for burglaries in the Malden and Rosalia area.

“That’s quite a few for that small a community,” he said.

Another five are on probation for burglaries in Tekoa, he said.

Pullman police last week warned residents to be on the watch for youths believed to be responsible for a series of daytime break-ins. The thefts involved going into unlocked homes and taking items such as compact discs, which can easily be resold at some stores, said Officer Rick Peringer.

Peringer, Pullman’s youth officer, said the thefts were unsophisticated and appear to be the work of juveniles.

Overall, he said the apparent increase in juvenile crime may be due largely to people alerting authorities.

Monty Cobb, Whitman County deputy prosecuting attorney in charge of juveniles, said the recent numbers may be skewed because several youths will be charged for a single incident. The actual number of crimes, he said, could be about the same.

Lien, the juvenile administrator, said the youths involved appear to come from across the social spectrum, from rural families on welfare to the children of high-ranking Washington State University officials.

Increasingly, he said, he is getting calls for help from parents who feel their children are out of control. Still, he said, the county continues to have one of the lowest juvenile crime rates in the state.

Starting next month, the county will begin an early intervention program aimed at helping juveniles whose offenses are not serious enough for state-funded rehabilitation programs.

The program, based on a Pierce County system boasting of very low recidivism rates, will involve more intensive counseling, tracking and supervision, Lien said.

, DataTimes