Posted: 7:58 AM Dec 6, 2012
Reporter: Brian Hutton, Jr.

Mitchell Talks about Recent Crime

The spike in crime is not just impacting local police but also prosecutors who are trying the cases once the perpetrators are arrested. District Attorney Bilbo Mitchell tells us that just about every recent case in crime has had some component of gang activity.

"When we do get statements from the people that are involved or even the defendants or the victims, they all seem to mention gang related stuff, and the problem with these gangs are that a kid can make a mistake and get in the gang, and when he realizes this is not for him, they won't let him out," Mitchell states.

Many of the juveniles who are committing the crimes won't end up in juvenile court, especially if the juveniles are committing crimes with weapons.

"It used to be that 17 was an adult," explains Mitchell. "Last year the legislature moved it back to 18 as an adult, but anytime a crime is committed with a weapon, then 13 is the age of adulthood if the crime is committed with that weapon."

Those who are tried as adults face the same punishment that an adult would, and their records are not sealed when they turn 18. Mitchell recently sat down with a a lady whose nephew was killed, and they believe the way to fix the crime problem is to get kids back where they need to be.

Mitchell says, "What the two of us ended up with was there's got to be some way to get these children back in church, back in school, and doing the things they're supposed to be doing."

Mitchell hopes the community will come together to help curb the violence.

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