by Ed Koch

About the author: Ed Koch, former mayor of New York City, appears as the judge on television's The People's Court.

Too often, in New York and other jurisdictions, the law treats juvenile criminals as delinquent children, while they act more like feral animals. Juveniles seem to view the lack of restraints as a license to attack the elderly, the infirm, and other children who are not able to defend themselves.

Each year juveniles are committing more crimes than ever before. According to Department of Justice statistics, the number of juveniles arrested for murder increased 104 percent nationwide from 1970–1992. Since 1980, juvenile gang killings, the fastest growing murder circumstance, have increased 371 percent.

The System Is Too Easy

Judges and prosecutors are unable to take appropriate action to stanch this bloody flow because we have created unreasonable...