Teen Crime Is on the Rise. Our Bipartisan Bill Can Help | Opinion

It’s October, which means that across our country, America’s 54 million K-12 students are settling into the new school year. For parents and students, this is an exciting time: new classes, teachers, projects, clubs, friends, and opportunities to learn and grow. For school faculty and staff, it’s another year of working to create a classroom environment that fosters academic achievement, personal development, and a sense of safety.

But while being in the classroom can keep our students engaged during the school day, we are unfortunately seeing a rise in juvenile crime committed after school hours in communities across the country.

Between 2021 and 2023, Memphis saw a 37 percent increase in juvenile charges, with more arrested for carjackings, robberies, and aggravated assaults.

In Las Vegas, meanwhile, the rate of car thefts among minors increased by 116 percent between 2022 and 2023.

While there are different explanations for these statistics, we do know one thing: Most of the criminal behavior occurs on school days.

Although there is roughly an equal number of school and non-school days throughout the year, 64 percent of violent crime committed by minors occurs during days of the week when school is in session.

Local leaders in our states have told us about the need for more resources to keep our kids focused and protected after the school day ends, especially those students whose parents may work longer hours.

To be clear: This is about keeping our families and our children safe. Every Nevadan, Tennessean, and American deserves the opportunity to succeed and the right to feel safe in their community. And one of the best ways to ensure that happens is through direct engagement of at-risk youth.

That’s why, in the U.S. Senate, we introduced the bipartisan Advancing Frequent and Tailored Education to Rebuild Safe Communities and Help Orchestrate Opportunities and Learning (AFTER SCHOOL) Act, which would strengthen after school programs in our local communities that help reduce juvenile crime rates and encourage positive youth development.

Such programs—ranging from athletics and music to tutoring and volunteering—reduce total arrests by up to 35 percent and violent crime by up to 50 percent, according to studies conducted by researchers at the University of Chicago. Participants, meanwhile, experienced a 21 percent drop in recidivism compared with those who did not participate in after school programs.

Although there are other federal grant initiatives for after school programs, applications are often extremely competitive, meaning many communities miss out on resources they desperately need. Under the AFTER SCHOOL Act, any county with a juvenile offense rate that is more than 10 percent of total offenses would be eligible for funding.

By targeting areas that are most in need of support, this bipartisan legislation will keep our neighborhoods safe and give more students the critical support they need to engage positively in their communities.

As we head into the new school year, Congress should do everything possible to ensure that every young American has the ability to learn, stay safe, and keep their lives on the right track. With the AFTER SCHOOL Act, we have a big opportunity to help make that happen by providing our children with the resources they need to set them on the path for success.

Senator Marsha Blackburn is a United States Senator from Tennessee. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto is a United States Senator from Nevada.

The views expressed in this article are the writers’ own.