Contrary to sensational reports of “flash mobs”, youth are the minority of people who get arrested in Chicago. The Chicago Police Department made 181,669 arrests in 2009 – approximately 17% were of people seventeen and younger (31,224).

Today, First Defense Legal Aid (www.first-defense.org) and Project NIA (www.project-nia.org) have released a new report documenting juvenile arrests in Chicago in 2009 and 2010. The key data points in the report are that:

1. According the Chicago Police Department, there were 27,563 arrests of juveniles 17 and under in 2010 in the city of Chicago (some youth may be arrested more than once). This number is down from 31,224 in 2009.

2. In 2010, the 8^th district had the highest total number of juvenile (17 and under) arrests in Chicago with 2,247.

3. From 2003 to 2009, the total number of juvenile (16 and under) arrests in Chicago declined by 25.7%.

4. Most of the juvenile arrests in 2010 (63%) happened in 10 out of the 25 districts. In order of most to least, these districts are: 8, 11, 15, 4, 6, 3, 5, 7, 25, and 10.

5. Most juvenile arrests in Chicago are for misdemeanor offenses, generally, or felony drug possession.

6. There were 5,574 arrests of juveniles 17 and under on school property in the city of Chicago in 2010.

7. There were 1,733 formal and 7,040 informal station adjustments reported by CPD in 2010.

To access the full report, visit the Arresting Justice blog at HERE.