Raise the Age Tips and Resources for Law Enforcement

North Carolina sits four days away from implementation of the most significant change to juvenile court jurisdiction since the inception of the juvenile delinquency system 100 years ago. Beginning on December 1, 2019, most offenses alleged to have been committed by 16- and 17-year-olds will begin under juvenile jurisdiction. G.S. 7B-1501(7)b, G.S. 7B-1604(b). This change will shift the procedures that law enforcement must follow when processing 16- and 17-year-olds for these now juvenile offenses from criminal procedures to juvenile procedures. The good news, as Jeff Ledford, Chief of Police in Shelby, N.C., put it—if an officer knows how to take a 13-year-old into custody today, that officer knows how to take a 16- or 17-year-old into custody on December 1st.  This blog provides three key tips for law enforcement to follow and links to a short training video and job aid developed specifically for law enforcement training on raise the age. Nothing changes about processing Chapter 20 motor vehicle offenses committed at ages 16 or 17 There is only one category of offenses that will not be brought under the original jurisdiction of the juvenile court under raise the age. All chapter 20 motor vehicle offenses committed by youth at age 16 or 17 will remain under the original jurisdiction of the adult criminal justice system. G.S. 7B-1501(7)b. The processes law enforcement will follow for these matters will remain exactly as they are now. This is the case even if the youth is charged with other non-chapter 20 offenses that arise [...]