Crime in San Antonio and Bexar County: No Longer ‘Child’s Play’
Residents in and around Bexar County have been witnessing a transformation of their once-safe and friendly neighborhoods. Too many have become crime headlines on the 5 o’clock news.
The makeup of those committing such crimes is no longer just the typical adults, but also brazen teens and pre-teens. They feel that they are immune to the legal process because of their age and the current soft-on-crime law enforcement. In a way, they’re right.
This is a far cry from our youth when characters in movies like “The Breakfast Club” mirrored some of kids we knew in high school. Detention for those that skipped school to go surfing at South Padre, or the typical girl fight during lunch break, was the order of the day.
We all knew the “Cholos,” dressed in khakis and bandanas, who would line up certain hallways as their turf. We all knew our place in and around high school, but yet we survived.
Today however, the “socials” and the “greasers” from “The Outsiders” have been replaced by delinquents committing crimes and posting them on Tik Tok, Instagram and the like. The need for the quick “like” overrides all.
The relaxed criminal justice system has contributed to this. They’re no longer simply troubled youth, but full-fledged criminals, released back out onto the streets of San Antonio.
They know that during the government shutdown response to Covid-19, the “cite and release” movement evolved in their favor. There was little-to-no juvenile detention or courts open to process the criminals. This gave way to more crimes committed by this 13-19 age group.
In the meantime, we watch in disbelief as these teenagers become sexual predators, attacking senior citizens or toddlers.
When concerns and outrage highlight these aggressions, is it any surprise that some of the perpetrators are armed, underaged “Bonnie and Clyde” wannabes, who don’t fear the legal consequences?
Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales lumps-in repeat offenders with petty criminals, and characterizes their release as a cost savings to Bexar County residents. He and other elected leaders proudly reported that more than 6,000 people have been ‘cited and released’ rather than being arrested.
They claim that the $4.7 million dollars in booking costs was a positive for the county. Yet, these ‘savings’ don’t consider the victims: the property vandalized multiple times, the vehicles stolen from hard working families by these underaged rings of thieves, who know their criminal history will be scrubbed when they turn 18.
Do these lives matter?
Will the lawsuits for the failure of our system cost the taxpayer more when these criminals’ actions have caused such injury or death? What about the opportunity cost of lost contributions to society by the victims?
Residents have watched the news, and though our officials want to brush this criminal activity under the rug, we know our city has changed, and not all for the better.
School districts have a role in this, too.
We need our counselors to provide the resources we have to help curb these behaviors. We remember when students would watch their troubled peers walk into school with their parents. This meant he or she was on notice.
So were the rest of us. That long walk to the principal’s office reminded us that it could be us if we didn’t shape up.
Does that disincentive still exist today? Do parents work with the schools, or do they think their precious “mijo” or “princess” can do no harm? They should consider that the aforementioned ‘walk of shame’ is better than one to the juvenile center. Or even the morgue.
We should expect more from our (elected) leaders. If they can’t help make our city safer, they should be voted out.