NYC Bill Seeks to Ban Young Criminals from Being Arrested as Teen Gun Violence Hits All-Time High
New York City Councilwoman Crystal Hudson has reintroduced a bill that would require police to divert “young people” involved in certain crimes to community-based organizations for services, instead of arresting them.
The legislation, proposed for the third time since 2022, aims to keep young people out of the justice system but is vague about which crimes they would be allowed to get away with.
The bill mandates that officers refer “young individuals,” without specifying the ages included, to nonprofits offering community services or to trade unions with apprenticeship programs.
Hudson, a Democrat representing parts of Brooklyn including Fort Greene and Prospect Heights, described the measure as a way to “allow officers to divert young people to appropriate community-based organizations in lieu of criminal enforcement, creating a pathway to support before deeper system involvement occurs.”
Currently, the legislation has five co-sponsors and would need 26 to pass the full Council, or 34 to override a potential mayoral veto.
Previous versions in the 2022-2023 and 2024-2025 sessions garnered 11 and seven co-sponsors, respectively, but never reached a vote.
The New York Post reports:
But with comrade Mamdani — whose soft-on-crime tactics since taken office include dropping plans to increase the Police Department’s ranks by 5,000 officers — at Gracie Mansion, Hudson’s best shot could be now.
“She has a listening ear with a mayor who would like to see nobody put in jail,” said Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Queens).
“In the past, not only was there no appetite for this kind of thing on the Council, but if it did pass, it would likely get vetoed. Councilmember Hudson is betting on that not happening with this administration – and that is a good bet.”
“This is much too vague as written,” Ariola added. “We need a clear definition of what a ‘young person’ is. Nobody wants to see ten-year-olds in jail, but we also don’t want violent 17-year-old offenders skirting justice either.”
The proposal comes amid ongoing debates about youth justice reforms in New York City, including the “Raise the Age” law implemented in 2018, which raised the age of criminal responsibility from 16 to 18.
Violent youth crimes hit an all-time high in the city last year.
The New York Post reported in January:
Youth violence across New York City hit historic highs during 2025, with staggering numbers of shooters and shooting victims falling under the age of 18, NYPD data released Tuesday shows.
Last year, 14% of shooting victims and 18% of shooters were youths, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said during an otherwise-triumphant news conference outlining drops in crime.
“These are the highest percentages that we’ve ever seen for both measures since we began tracking this data in 2018,” Tisch said.
The horrific shooting numbers solidified concerns among some parents about New York’s controversial “Raise the Age” law’s effect on youth violence in 2025 — a year otherwise marked by crime hitting historic lows.
The bill’s future remains uncertain, with the possibility of hearings before the Council’s Public Safety Committee.
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