Police Chief Kenny Hampton said his department has started to put some teeth in their efforts to curtail some of the recent juvenile crime within Yazoo City. He said it is time to start holding their parents and other adults accountable.
“Many of the guns we are retrieving were mostly from juveniles,” Hampton said. “We know that juveniles are not the only suspects we have involved in some of these recent shootings. But they account for a large amount of it.”
Hampton said if a juvenile is found in possession of a firearm and investigators determine their parents or any other adult purchased or provided the firearm for them, they will face criminal charges.
Hampton said curfews will also be strictly enforced within the city as well.
“If a juvenile is caught out on the streets after 11 p.m., we will be taking that juvenile to the police station,” he said. “A $50 fine will be issued to the parent or guardian for the first two offenses. The third offense will result in a $200 fine, and child protection services will be contacted.”
Hampton said juveniles traveling on unauthorized motorized vehicles, including scooters and ATVs, will also be detained. But he said adult drivers of those vehicles will also face consequences as well.
“We had two incidents recently with scooters and four-wheelers, but the drivers got away from us,” Hampton said. “But I think they are getting the message. We are coming for them.”
