WS Chronicle

TEVIN STINSON 

THE CHRONICLE  

 Local law enforcement held a press conference earlier this week to discuss “disruptive juveniles” in the downtown area in recent weeks.  

According to the Winston-Salem Police Department (WSPD), large groups of teenagers have been involved in fights, vandalism and other disorderly conduct well into the night. These gatherings often involve more than 100 juveniles spread across various parts of downtown.  

This past weekend there were six different incident reports and four individuals were charged with criminal behavior. One individual was arrested and charged with assaulting a police officer. Not much information was available about the suspects because they are juveniles.  

During the press conference on Monday, May 19, a video clip was presented showing what officers have been dealing with. The video, which was recorded around 2 a.m. and shared on social media, shows a fight in the middle of the street, as well as other lewd and lascivious conduct. 

Chief Penn Speaks to the Community, Especially Parents 

In his message to the community, Chief William Penn said, “Ideally I would prefer parents to be parents and address this behavior and ensure that their children are supervised and not on the streets, any streets, in Winston-Salem at these hours.”  

“However, if parents do not do their jobs, the Winston-Salem Police Department alongside our partners in crime fighting … are fully prepared to take whatever actions needed to keep our community safe.” 

With graduations scheduled for this weekend at the Coliseum and other parts of the city, the WSPD will be partnering with the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) to implement saturation patrols downtown on the weekends. Law enforcement has also disabled Lime scooters downtown on weekends.  

“I can assure you that Winston will look totally different than it did last weekend,” said Forsyth County Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough during the press conference earlier this week.  

“You will see a lot of black uniforms down there and a lot of manpower because at the end of the day, this is unacceptable behavior. We cannot have this; it’s not a good look.”  

Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O’Neill said he’s had conversations about possibly charging parents who allow their children to be unsupervised after midnight. O’Neill said they are also considering implementing a curfew.  

“You have to know where your children are at 10 o’clock at night, 12 o’clock at night or 2 o’clock in the morning. They cannot be running rampant in downtown Winston-Salem. There will be consequences if this behavior continues,” O’Neill said.  

A Continued Pattern  

Overall crime is down this year according to local law enforcement, but as the days become longer and warmer in the summer months, crime and more specifically crimes committed by juveniles tend to rise. 

Experts believe there are several factors that contribute to this seasonal trend including increased aggression due to higher temperatures, more daylight, and the presence of more people outside. We know the contributing factors; what’s more important is finding solutions.  

Researchers report a 35% increase in juvenile crimes during the summer, indulging in theft, driving under the influence, drug and alcohol offenses, and gun violence.  

Time to Revisit 2022 Community Discussions 

In 2022, city officials and local law enforcement held a series of community discussions on how to stop the violence in the community. During those meetings representatives from the state, city, county, the local school systems and other stakeholders in the community talked about what they had in place to stop the violence and to take suggestions from the community.  

While a lot has changed since 2022 and community leaders have made great strides to ensure the safety of all citizens, it may be time to revisit strategies from those community discussions. To truly confront issues with our youth and crime we must start early, address economic concerns tied to poverty and crime, and create more programs and places where our young people can go.