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What’s the solution when gang violence, drugs, theft, robbery, and a variety of smaller crimes are committed by kids?

For decades, the answer was locking them up, but in recent years the tide has shifted with more investments into programs that offer second, third, and even more chances to help those kids adjust course.

In King County, millions of dollars are being invested in alternatives to lock up juveniles.

Community groups, nonprofits, mentors, courts, drug and mental health counselors, prosecutors, and many others are working behind the scenes daily to help kids that touch the county鈥檚 criminal justice system at every level find a new path.

Des Moines Police Officer Justin Cripe says law enforcement has a huge role to play.

鈥淏uilding a bridge and trust between uniform police and youth from an early age,鈥� Cripe said.

It can mean anything from engaging with kids in the community as a patrol officer to Cripe’s earlier work as a School Resource Officer.

鈥淭hey can see us interacting with them in a means that鈥檚 every day, it doesn鈥檛 have to be criminal.鈥� Cripe said.

Cripe uses that same philosophy now as a patrol officer and in his work with gang intervention. It鈥檚 helped him build relationships with kids over the years who come to him with problems, call on him if they get in trouble, and most importantly, who are open to listening to him about making better choices

鈥淚t鈥檚 not all sunshine and rainbows,” Cripe said. “There are kids that unfortunately, you go from seeing in a hallway and smiling and high-fiving to seeing a murder charge come down on them.”

However, there are many others who get their lives on track.

鈥淭he good definitely outweighs the bad,” Cripe said. “That鈥檚 why I continue to do the work that I鈥檓 doing because if I can change the life of one child and make them successful in any means that I can, I鈥檝e had success.”

Officer discretion plays a big part in keeping kids out of the system. When kids are arrested, Jimmy Hung at the King County Prosecutor鈥檚 juvenile division takes over and, along with his team, decides whether to file charges or find another route to accountability, such as diversion.

鈥淲hat many of us who have been doing this for a long time are starting to realize is that when people commit crimes, there needs to be more than a one-size-fits-all response, especially when you鈥檙e talking about young people,鈥� Hung said.

Under state law, every kid arrested for a first-time misdemeanor is sent to a diversion program that, if completed, keeps the charges from being filed. A second minor offense gets sent to a second level of diversion under the county鈥檚 standards.

鈥淯ltimately, you can have no history, but if you commit a rape or a murder or something like that then we鈥檙e filing that case,鈥� Hung said.

When more serious offenses are involved, it gets more complicated.

鈥淚 think there are certainly circumstances and there continue to be, sadly, where people in our community commit such harm where there just has to be straight punishment,” Hung said. “I think the best thing for our community is to remove them from the community for a time.”

Under the county鈥檚 current system, juvenile offenders for most first-time felony offenses can get a chance at keeping that off their record even after they鈥檝e been charged. They must take part in community support services and meeting conditions set by the court in what鈥檚 known as the . If the child completes the requirements, their charges can be reduced or tossed altogether.

Those charged with felonies like rape, murder, and kidnapping are not eligible. First-time offenders charged with felonies like assault, robbery, car theft, and illegal possession of a firearm are eligible.

鈥淲hen faced with the option of locking up a young person for a short amount of time, like 30 days, it鈥檚 not very attractive when we have all these other options of holding kids accountable by connecting them with people in the community, holding them accountable by helping them find a way to get back in school,” Hung explained. “That, to me, is a form of accountability as well for when you do something wrong it鈥檚 not just the stick all the time. Sometimes the carrot is just as effective.”

It鈥檚 about taking a chance on doing things differently to get to better outcomes.

鈥淲hen we look at all the different challenges that face young people growing up in our society these days and then also the inherent societal problems that people deal with, especially minority communities or communities that come from more poverty and things like that, there鈥檚 just all these challenges that are baked into their very existence where if you just have a response of we鈥檙e just going to be punitive, it鈥檚 not going to be effective,鈥� Hung said.

That鈥檚 because no child can be locked up for life. Every child is going to eventually be released back into society, regardless of how serious the crime.

鈥淪o when they do come back into our community, we have to ask ourselves what do we want them to be like?” Hund explained. “How do we want them to have the tools so that they鈥檙e not harming other people? Oftentimes, the best way to do that is to keep them out of juvenile detention, keep them out of our state institutions, and do things like connect them with community support.”

Hung says community based accountability is effective, and he鈥檚 seeing it work with kids involved in Peace Circles willing to leave the gang life.

Hung admits it doesn鈥檛 always go that way.

鈥淯nfortunately, I made a decision where we took a chance with a young person and he ended up taking the life of another person,鈥� Hung said.

Even with that outcome, Hung stands by his position.

鈥淚f someone asked me, 鈥楧o you think a young person would be more or less likely to commit a crime after going through the traditional court system versus some alternative?鈥� I would put my money, every time, on the traditional court system where that kid would be more likely to commit a crime,鈥� Hung said.