(KATV) Police in Central Arkansas
have put a lot of young men behind bars lately in connection with a rash or
armed robberies. The suspects are as young as 16 to 25 years old. The age of
these men who are committing crimes isn't surprising to police, but it seems
there is a shift from burglaries to crimes of opportunity for the cash money.
Pictured, are some of the
faces of the men being held behind bars, suspected of armed robberies at convenience
stores and ATM machines. The recent robberies have happened in Little Rock, North
Little Rock, Pine Bluff and Saline County. The majority of them already have a rap
sheet. Some will likely spend the rest of their lives behind bars for
committing a murder during the theft.
Dr. Jeff Walker is the Criminal
Justice Chair at UALR. He says, "People who start to get into the late 20's and
30's usually start aging out of crime unless they're just going to be completely
career criminals. So the age is about appropriate for what we're seeing."
Dr. Walker says cash (store) robberies are likely in an upswing, but it isn't cause for concern. "Especially
in an economic environment such as we have, pawn shops aren't buying as much.
People don't have that kind of money so you have to go where the money is and
that is the armed robberies."
Jason Lanier with Positive
Atmosphere Reaches Kids (P.A.R.K) says, "Studies have shown that kids join
gangs because they don't feel loved, they don't have a place to go where they
can feel at home."
Lanier is the program
director for the non-profit. It's a place for high risk kids to eat, build
confidence and do homework after school. He adds, "Number one is relationships,
feeling important and that they matter to someone."
Lanier says many of these
young men were likely headed in a troubled path years before their first
criminal offense. "It's not going to fix it every time but I think if that kid
or those kids who commit these robberies or these crimes. If they had somebody
they knew that was really looking out for them and say, this person would
really be upset if I do this."
Lanier recommends more
programs or mentors because there is a strong link between failure in school
and a life of crime and prison.
