After School: Still the Prime Time for Juvenile Crime in North Carolina

The more than 5,000 law enforcement leaders around the nation who are members of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, have long known that the hours immediately after school lets out, when parents are likely not available to supervise, are the prime time for juvenile crime. Over the past 20 years, law enforcement leaders across the country have relied on high-quality afterschool programs to provide supportive, stable, and enriching environments with caring adults that keep children and youth out of trouble and safe, while supporting their academic success, and social and emotional development.

The Prime Time for Juvenile Crime in North Carolina

In North Carolina, juvenile crime peaks between 2-6 p.m. on school days, with about 29 percent of all juvenile crime on those days occurring during the hours following the last school bell.

Program Highlight: MCPD Tutoring, Morehead City

The Morehead City Police Department (MCPD) prioritizes its relationships with the city’s youth through a variety of programs including after school tutoring, two summer camps, and an internship program. Chief Bernette Morris started the afterschool tutoring program in 2006 to connect with kids and help them stay on a successful path. When school is in session, MCPD offers a free tutoring program for students of all grades on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:30 - 5pm. Any student who wishes to attend is welcome and will enjoy access to Google Chromebooks, a hearty snack, and help on homework assignments from officers.

Providing a safe, accessible, and welcoming environment has been the focus since the beginning. Since the program wants to keep an open door to any interested student, there is no registration required or attendance taken. Attendance fluctuates - some days 5 students will be there; some days 12 attend. And while the program is open to all ages, mostly elementary and middle school students participate.

In addition to the after school tutoring, MCPD offers two sessions of summer camps - one for middle school and one for high school students. The camps are free for the students and run by School Resource Officers to expose kids to a variety of law enforcement topics. Learning how to take fingerprints has been the most popular activity lately.