Judge says task force arrests have not significantly impacted juvenile detention numbers

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Juvenile crime in Shelby County is trending down, leading to fewer admissions to the detention facility, according to juvenile court officials.

They say the Memphis Safe Task Force’s recent arrests have not significantly impacted the system.

The U.S. Department of Justice reports that 33 juvenile arrests have been made by the task force in October so far. Of those, 23 were admitted to the Shelby County Juvenile Detention Center.

“So, this group represents about 20% of the distinct youth admitted to the facility since October,” said Juvenile Court Judge Tarik Sugarmon.

Sugarmon said the task force’s arrests have not led to a surge in juvenile admissions.

“To this point, we’ve not seen any impact, significant impact on our system,” Sugarmon said. “And the contac