Mayoral Candidates Sound Off On Youth Crime

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Whoever wins the mayoral runoff election in Nashville will face a problem plaguing cities across the nation.

Related: Special Section: Nashville Mayoral Race | Video

As Channel 4 News has documented in our Young and Lawless series, Nashville is experiencing an increase in violent juvenile crime.

"Put it in your top five, where does juvenile crime rank?" reporter Jeremy Finley asked mayoral candidate Bob Clement.

"Very, very high," said Clement.

"Where does the problem with juvenile crime rank?" Finley asked mayoral candidate Karl Dean.

"Oh, it's a high priority," said Dean.

New figures from the Metro Police department show why the subject is such a big concern. There has been a 93 percent increase in juveniles arrested on violent crime charges compared to this same time last year.

Juveniles committing robberies was the biggest problem, up 37.5 percent.

Dean and Clement have the same solutions to the problem, but they have different focuses. Both said the vacancies in Metro's police force must be filled so more officers can catch more young criminals.

Dean even wants to form a specific violent youth offender enforcement unit.

"(I would like to) have a specialized unit and use some intelligence in dealing with gangs," said Dean.

Both candidates said the long-term solution lies not with more arrests but focusing instead on making sure kids stay in the classroom and graduate.

Clement wants a rebirth in vocational training for young people who feel crime is their only option.

"Just because you're not a college graduate does not mean you're a second-class citizen," said Clement.

Both candidates on Monday spoke about the city's dropout rate as a major factor in crime. Roughly 30 percent of students dropped out of Nashville’s schools last year.

Metro Police Chief Ronal Serpas has been at the forefront of saying violent juvenile crime is a problem in Nashville. He worked with Dean when Dean was Metro's Legal Director.

Clement, on the other hand, has said he'd like a change in the leadership of the police department because he said morale is a problem within the force.