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 are Cayuga and Seneca counties performing?

In 2010, juvenile delinquency intake rates per 10,000 children were 93 in Cayuga County and 30 in Seneca County, compared to a state (excluding NYC) rate of 77. Rates have declined 37% in Cayuga and 74% in Seneca since 2000, though the number of intakes in Seneca was so low (13 intakes in 2010) as to make it difficult to assess trends. The comparison counties had higher rates, ranging from 121 to 176, with the exception of Oswego, which had a rate of 89 in 2010. The rates in all comparison counties declined between 22% and 42% between 2000 and 2010, mirroring the 26% decline at the state.

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. Comparable national data were not available. Rates in Seneca County are based upon small numbers, which makes it difficult to distinguish random fluctuation from true changes.