DALLAS — FBI Director Christopher Wray was in Dallas on Thursday to meet with local law enforcement. At the top of his agenda was violent crime and juvenile violent crime.
Wray applauded the Dallas Police Department's violent crime plan, saying it has lead to a significant drop in violent crime.
Watch Wray's discussion here:
"Because of the great work these partnerships represent, we have seen a reduction in overall violent crime in this area," said Wray.
But he says there is still one big area of concern.
"We are noticing a troubling increase in juvenile offenders, and that increase matches trends we are seeing on a national level," Wray said. "Whether it is carjackings, armed robberies or even worse, violence. Juveniles are committing serious, violent crimes, and that's a challenge that everyone in law enforcement faces these days."
He says part of the problem is juveniles are used by adults to commit violent acts.
”On the traditional violent crime side you see for example where you see gangs who will task juvies to be the shooter because of the perception that consequences will be less if it’s a juvenile instead of an adult," said Wray.
And he says it’s not just juveniles involved in gangs and gun violence but teenagers plotting terrorist attacks.
”In fact, in the last three years, the Dallas area has seen an increase in juveniles inspired by foreign terrorists’ organizations like Isis.”
He says the FBI working with local law enforcement has recently disrupted violent attacks. Wray says one of the biggest problems is social media.
"Where you have kids essentially online or social medium platforms that are egging each other on to commit violence," Wray said.
There are no easy or quick answers, Wray said, but the FBI is meeting with chiefs, U.S. attorneys, local prosecutors and school resource officers to try and find ways to thwart juvenile crime before it happens.