Five Violent Incidents Involving Teens in Less Than a Week
By Thomas Montana
Two Assemblymembers from Suffolk County have expressed their disdain with Raise the Age as the rise in youth violence continues, most notably five such incidents that took place in Suffolk over a five-day span.
In October 2018, New York’s Raise the Age Law — which ended the automatic prosecution of 16- and 17-year-olds — went into effect. As a result, all 16- and 17-year-olds were ordered to be moved out of Rikers Island and into age-appropriate facilities.
While the numbers looked promising in the first nine months, felony convictions for 16- and 17-year-olds dropped significantly, according to Assemblyman Keith Brown (R,C-Northport).
The county, meanwhile, may be feeling the effects of Raise The Age, as seen during these past few days. Long Island Life & Politics previously reported on the following incidents:
- A 15-year-old was arrested on August 14 for allegedly shooting another teenager at an apartment complex in Central Islip two months ago.
- On August 15, a 14-year-old and 15-year-old were arrested for allegedly trying to rob a 7-Eleven in Bethpage. The older teen allegedly pulled a knife on the store owner.
- A 17-year-old was shot at a house party in West Babylon on August 15. The shooter has not yet been caught.
- Alexander Murphy, 17, was arrested on August 16 for allegedly stabbing a 17-year-old during an altercation at Smith Point Beach in Shirley.
- The most recent incident happened on August 19, when four people were arrested for criminal possession of a weapon. Two of the arrestees were 17 years old.
“The results are clear: youth violence has spiked, gangs are recruiting under-18 offenders to commit shootings and stabbings, and serious cases are being pushed into Family Court with little consequence,” said Brown.
According to Brown, in 2017, prior to Raise the Age, nearly 60% of 16- and 17-year-olds charged with felonies were convicted. By 2024, that number dropped to under 10%, “even as arrests for violent felonies such as homicide, weapon offenses, robberies and assaults have increased dramatically,” he said.
Assemblyman Joe DeStefano (R,C-Medford) shared a similar opinion with his fellow Assemblyman.
“I will continue to push Gov. Hochul and her Democrat colleagues to repeal Raise the Age and the other disastrous laws, such as cashless bail, that kicked off a statewide crime wave,” said DeStefano. “Considering the actions of the Democrats, nothing has been done, from a legislative point of view, to combat teen crime. Teenagers roaming the streets in gangs know they can get away with just about anything thanks to the state’s weak criminal justice system.”
LILP also reached out to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, but did not respond as of press time.