City authorizes mapping of youth crime

City Council tonight approved paying $29,750 to the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre to map three years of data on local youth crime.

City Council tonight approved paying $29,750 to the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre to map three years of data on local youth crime.

The maps and data will be analyzed by the City's Committee on Youth Crime and Violence, applying recommendations from a recent $2 million provincial study on root causes of youth crime.

Statistics collected for 2007 showed 1,219 youth involved in criminal incidents, compared to 946 for the previous year.

That's a 28.9 percent increase in one year.

"This is very exciting," said Ward 2 Councillor Susan Myers, said of the initiative approved tonight. "I see this as a wonderful Christmas gift for our community."