Juvenile crime falls in North Fair Oaks

Starting in 2016, youth crime rates in the North Fair Oaks were on the rise, doubling from eight different types of crimes committed in 2016 to 16 types of crimes in 2017, 26 in 2018 and 31 in 2019. Spanning 2020, Corpus said the community has seen a substantial dip in youth led crimes, falling 51% in 2020 when compared to 2019. 

Corpus noted that while assault and battery crimes have remained an issue into 2020, changing little over the past few years, burglary, larceny, alcohol and opioid related crimes have fallen or remained low when compared to similar jurisdictions. Calling the statistics a “win,” Corpus said many jurisdictions across the country experience high drug-related crimes among members of the youth.  

Alternatively, Corpus said crime rates among older teens have continued to challenge departments across the county. Repeat offenses are also most often committed by those around 17 years old moving into adulthood, she said. 

“We may have these smaller pockets of gang activity but that’s why we want to have all our programs to support those kids to get them off the street and get them into a really healthy environment,” said Corpus.

Like many agencies, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office has started to shift away from incarcerating the youth, instead opting to enroll children who’ve committed minor offenses in various diversion programs. Corpus said that programs, which feature art therapy and robust conversations, have seen increased participation since the pandemic struck the region. In 2020, the department reported 52 diversion cases, 23 crisis intervention incidents and provided 58 free tattoo removals. 

In youth programming, Corpus said kids have expressed greater levels of sadness as their parents experience pandemic-induced employment hardship. Isolation from peers has also weighed heavy on the youth, she said.

“When it comes to the pandemic, we’ve seen a lot more vulnerability when it comes to our youth, a lot more depression” said Corpus, adding that the agency has also assisted in connecting families with food and other types of assistance when possible. 

The Sheriff’s Office has also continued to monitor crimes committed within a family unit but not by a child. Child abuse referrals, spousal battery and child cruelty cases in 2020 have trended similar rates of previous years though many have expressed concern for those struggling in silence while in isolation. 

When asked about the influence of domestic violence on children, Corpus said kids may be turning to programming to get away from tense home situations. Earlier in the year, the Sheriff’s Office partnered with Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse, the only organizations focused on ending domestic violence in the county, to educate the youth on what abuse looks like and ways to respond. 

“The kids in North Fair Oaks are just so resilient. I’ve seen them and they’re such good hearts. We really try to work with the kids because we don’t want to see them go down that wrong path,” said Corpus. 

While councilmembers applauded the agency for its work to prevent youth crime, they also encouraged the department to be proactive about hiring mental health professionals or cross-training current deputies.

sierra@smdailyjournal.com 

(650) 344-5200 ext. 106