Car thefts on the mind of Charlotte nonprofit leaders aiming to prevent summer spike of juvenile crime

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – Authorities are preparing for a rise in youth crime as school lets out for the summer.

Police warn Kia and Hyundai drivers to take extra precautions against theft due to a continuing social media trend teaching teens how to steal those companies’ models.

Arri Woodhouse became a victim of the trend right before moving to Charlotte in March.

“It was the scariest, saddest moment of my life,” she said.

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Police said a group of teens smashed the windows of her Kia, took it for a joyride, smoked marijuana inside the car, then left it in a neighboring apartment complex parking lot.

“It was my first car that I ever owned by myself, and I had never thought that someone would just take my car. And it was a bunch of kids!” Woodhouse said.

She now uses a steering wheel lock in her vehicle.

Vehicles like Woodhouse’s are popping up in lots across Charlotte. Officials warn those who previously had their car stolen they may be at higher risk of getting it taken again as students’ summer vacations begins.

Community leaders like Alesha Brown, executive director of For the Struggle Inc., try to help them spend their newfound freedom wisely.

“The idea is not necessarily that, you know, summertime brings out all the bad,” she said. “The idea is how do we occupy that free time in a way that’s productive.”

Brown and her team launched a mentoring program for teens who may have disciplinary issues or criminal pasts called Salute U. The curriculum not only addresses problem behaviors but helps build healthy outlooks to prevent kids from any involvement in criminal activity.

“That preventative component is so very important because far too often we talk about ‘how do we help people who are formerly incarcerated? How do we help children who are in and out of jail? How do we provide them all of these services?’” Brown asked. “But very rarely folks are talking about ‘how do we prevent them from getting there in the first place.’”

Brown’s team established Salute U in April 2023. During the first summer, none of the children in the program reportedly engaged in any criminal or violent behaviors.

Program Director Antwan Chambers said offering engaging opportunities, like giving students chances to make money working events for the organization, is key to a successful operation. He said too many summer activities are viewed by kids as an extension of school.

“We want it to be something that they actually gravitate to, and I think that makes a difference,” Chambers said. “I think we try to make our programs something that meets them in the middle. It’s educational. You are learning, you’re doing something different, but it is something that you want to do.”

Brown said about half of the program’s operating budget comes from Mecklenburg County funding. She said the county’s Juvenile Crime Prevention Council helped them secure the thousands of dollars which led to great successes in their first year.

“I will note that only two of our children since the beginning of this academic school year have engaged in violent behavior, which is a drastic change from where we were when we started around this time last year,” she said. “So, something’s working and I’m very proud of that.”

Chambers said he hopes to see more conversations around youth violence include more youth voices.

“The way to build sustainable relationships with the youth is to recognize the humanity in them. I think a lot of times we minimize that. We talk to them and about them as if they just like people to take orders and to not be heard,” he said. “Shifting that and really doing our part as people who were all once kids before to be that like adult that we know we needed.”

Woodhouse is hopeful, with proper resources, even the thieves she encountered can change.

“I just feel bad for them. I hope they take this experience and do better in life,” she said.

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