ORANGE PARK – Sheriff Michelle Cook, Orange Park Police Chief Randy Chase and Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office members got a clarification they’ve wanted for years Tuesday – laws regarding minors with firearms finally have teeth and clarity.

During a public safety stakeholder meeting, the Secretary of the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, Eric Hall, and Juvenile Justice Chair, Florida Sen. Jennifer Bradley, updated law enforcement officials about recent changes in juvenile statutes. The information was especially timely since the proliferation of juvenile-involved crimes with handguns has become increasingly problematic.

Not only are the penalties more severe, but they are now consistent throughout the state.

A juvenile using or possessing a firearm during a first offense would still be charged with a misdemeanor. Still, they will be required to spend five days in juvenile detention and typically placed on juvenile probation.

A second offense would result in a third-degree felony charge. At the same time, a juvenile would be classified as a "delinquent" and be committed to a residential program on a third offense.  And a first- or second-offender can be adjudicated delinquent by the court.

Before July 1, the charge would have been a misdemeanor, and most would have resulted in probation.

Now, judges don’t have the discretion to vary from the sentencing guidelines for minors possessing a firearm.

Hall said studies prove with the surge of gang activity, it’s essential to direct minors off “the dangerous path.”

“We have to have a degree of clarity with them and understanding of their decisions,” he said. “We changed the statute from civil citations to delinquency citations. We’re also trying to make sure that we utilize it because I can tell you right now that about 66% of the eligible kids for our citation statewide are actually getting one. We know that 95% of kids participating in citation programs don’t return. So when you talk about a great return on investment, and that kid has no arrest record …”

Cook is on the State Advisory Group for the Department of Juvenile Justice. She said another important aspect of the only comprehensive juvenile justice system in the country is the HOPEFLORIDA program, and it’s a reason why Florida crimes committed by minors have decreased. According to the Florida Department of Health, the number of arrests of children aged 10-17 in 2017 was 34.8 for every 1,000 in the state, and that number shrunk to 18.0 in 2022.

The Department of Children and Families initially started HOPEFLORIDA to provide meaningful pathways to overcome barriers that prevent families from seeking and maintaining self-sufficiency. It also helps them develop a plan for immediate and long-term goals. The number for HOPEFLORIDA is 850-300-HOPE.