Years ago, as a police officer in Baltimore County, a common theme started to develop. First, thefts from malls and major retailers. Then, stolen cars being used to commit those acts. Strong-armed and armed robberies and burglaries then started plaguing once relatively quiet neighborhoods throughout the eastern portion of Baltimore County. The common theme among all these crimes: juveniles. Even back then, before I left the police department in 2017, I knew there were little repercussions for juvenile offenders. No matter how many times I would arrest people under 18 years old for grand theft auto, vehicle pursuits, possession of narcotics with intent to distribute with possession of a firearm, or even armed robbery, I would call the Department of Juvenile Services only to be told the suspect will not be held and to release the juvenile back to their parents.

While I have been out of law enforcement for some time now and have moved on to working for the Department of Defense, I still feel a connection to the streets and those who are fighting daily to keep it safe and experiencing the frustrations I once had. I remember getting into a vehicle pursuit when I was working in Dundalk, with a stolen vehicle out of Baltimore City that rammed several of our police vehicles. When the driver fled the vehicle and I tackled him to the ground, he began reaching for a firearm in his waistband. Thankfully, we were able to avoid using deadly force. How old was the driver? Just 14 years old. The passenger? Fifteen years old.

So why are these children armed? What compels them to carry a loaded handgun? In the case I mentioned before, it was for his “personal protection against people in his neighborhood.” Let’s face it; these children, whose ability to understand and reason is not fully developed, have easy access to firearms and are more willing to use them than adults. This has put us in a precarious situation.

So, if juveniles have easier access to firearms, are more willing to commit crimes since they will just be sent home to their parents in most cases, and can’t understand the consequences of their actions mentally, what can and should be done? Understanding the problem is the start. These children are not the cause. Parents, our governmental services and politicians are at fault. Our facilities are overcrowded and understaffed, and many of the parents of these children have given up or simply not shown any interest in them or their future. Politicians talk a big game, creating and refurbishing areas for children and young persons to peacefully play and learn, but these juvenile offenders don’t want that. To them, being cool means money, fame and notoriety among their peers.

To fix this issue, we need more enforcement. This means expanding the capabilities, staff and facilities of the state. This would take more of these violent adolescent offenders off the street for at least some time, when they could potentially receive life-saving intervention or resources. Next, accountability needs to happen. As a parent of three children, if one of them committed a crime like this, I would do my best to make sure it didn’t happen again. When faced with a lack of parental support for juveniles who commit crimes, I think holding the parents responsible in part for the actions of their children could be the answer. Does this mean we should jail Mom or Dad? No. Could this mean obligating the parents to seek care for their troubled children in lieu of penalties or other repercussions? Absolutely. I would even go as far as to say that court-mandated training or counseling for parents to improve their parenting skills should be on the table.

Every day I wake up to hear more stories on the news or from local law enforcement detailing our juvenile offenders and their violent crimes being committed. It’s a difficult subject to tackle and a daunting problem to solve, but we must start somewhere. If not, we will continue to see the decline of middle- and upper-class populations within and surrounding the city and an expansion of violent crimes far out into our communities.

Eric Braun is a former Baltimore County police officer and is a contractor for the U.S. Department of Defense.