Community activists say juvenile laws need to change

CHARLOTTE — A group that helps families and communities in Charlotte believes lawmakers must take another look at how juveniles are charged in North Carolina as teen crimes continue to increase.

A vigil was held Thursday night in west Charlotte to honor a senior at Myers Park High School who was shot and killed last weekend at a house party. Police sources said the signs point to it being an accident.

The memorial at the YMCA on West Boulevard honored Avyon Thomas.

“Avyon was a very special young man and it’s been very hard for our school community at Myers Park High School,” principal Robert Folk said.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department released its annual crime report Thursday, and it shows a spike in juvenile crime.

“These kids are out of control because some of the homes are broken, as well as the courthouse are broken,” said Charles Robinson, with West Boulevard Ministry.

Robinson and Bart Noonan are with West Boulevard Ministry, which is an organization that mentors and guides kids within the West Boulevard corridor. The goal is to prevent them from becoming a statistic.

Shooting victims involving juveniles increased 18% in 2023.

The number of kids arrested for those shootings is up by 33%.

Property crimes have soared, which were driven by juvenile offenders. Juvenile arrests for break-ins were up 86%. Kids arrested who were involved in auto thefts jumped 120%.

West Boulevard Ministry says it’s time to reverse Raise the Age back to 16 instead of 18.

“At what point do we as a community say enough is enough,” Robinsons said. “Elected officials, we got to go back and revisit this thing with juvenile crime.”

Thomas will be laid to rest at noon on Saturday at St. Paul Baptist Church.

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