What does this measure?

A juvenile delinquent is a child 7 to 16 years old who has committed an act that, if committed by an adult, would constitute a crime. County probation departments are the point of entry for a juvenile delinquency case, and each case brought to probation by police or another source is called an "intake." This indicator measures the number of intakes per 10,000 children ages 7-16.

Why is this important?

Individuals who commit crimes in their youth are more likely to commit other offenses later in life.

How is the region performing?

In 2017, there were 30 juvenile delinquency intakes in the region per 10,000 juvenile residents, substantially below the state rate (excluding New York City) of 42. The rate in 2017 was a slight decrease from the previous year, but 72% lower than in 2000.

Dutchess had the lowest rate by far in 2017, at 4, followed by Putnam, at 15, and Orange, at 28. Greene had the highest rate, at 77 per 10,000 juvenile residents. Dutchess and Orange drove much of the overall regional decline. Ulster's juvenile delinquency rate, though on a steady decrease from 2013-2016, was the only one to increase since 2000, by 66%.

Notes about the data

These data do not reflect the ultimate disposition of the case, as not all intakes turn into juvenile delinquency cases; some are diverted into programs and never reach court. The data should not be interpreted as the number of juveniles entering the system, as the same child may have multiple intakes. Also, changes in reporting systems over the decade may affect the overall accuracy of the figures. Comparable national data were not available. Data for this indicator are expected to be released in the third quarter.