Philadelphia police launch program to reduce arrests of minors

(NewsNation) — Philadelphia police will stop arresting kids who are accused of first-time, low-level offenses as part of a police diversion program, beginning Monday.

Instead of going to jail, 10- to 17-year-olds will be sent to a "police diversion program,"

The city's head of police said he hopes it'll lessen the trauma of being arrested and enable them to look at other ways to address the root cause of bad behavior.

In 2024, minors in Pennsylvania accounted for 12% of arrests for serious crimes, per the state's crime reporting system — but half of the arrests were for car thefts.

In this new diversion program, they've set up a tiered system to handle kids based on the seriousness of what they've done. For minor crimes, like disorderly conduct, they'll be let go right away but will have to do a one-day restorative program.

If it's something like shoplifting or vandalism, cops will drive them home or to a city curfew center, and they'll have to do extended community programs. For the more serious offenses, like having drugs, they'll go through the city's juvenile assessment center and have home check-ins to help keep them on track.

They want to keep young kids out of jail— and find better ways to set them on the right path. They did a similar diversion program in Philadelphia schools to success.

The city's police commissioner said over the last decade, they cut in-school arrests by more than 90% annually, from 1,500 to a little over 100 — and now they want to take that pilot and apply it statewide.

Now, the police chief made it clear: Kids aren't going to be let off the hook for shootings, homicides or robberies. But for non-violent crimes, he sees this as a way to promote positive development and reduce the chances they become convicted criminals in the future.

A March 2024 report from the Sentencing Project found that 23 states are already working to expand or improve existing diversion programs. Florida has a few of its own, with places like Miami-Dade and Pinellas Counties running their own versions.

The report also highlights that these diversion programs are helping to reduce the racial and ethnic disparities that often show up in youth justice systems.

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