School is out for the summer. Today was the final day of class in Lee County but local law enforcement says it could just be the start of a seasonal crime trend in your community.
Lt. Dana Coston with Cape Coral Police says the department is expecting an uptick in crime in the area.
"Patrol officers are aware that this is a seasonal thing that we see. It's a cycle and we're ready for it," Lt. Coston said.
New residents like Laura Carol tell Four In Your Corner she believes having a curfew may help curb any crime in the area while kids are on summer break.
"My only concern is that there's no curfew here. Where I'm from in Wisconsin there is one at 10 o'clock," Carol said. "Kids are out and when kids are out they're going to get in trouble."
Lt. Coston says the common crimes involving youth this time of year are unlocked car and home break-ins as well as vandalism.
Police have already arrested two teenagers earlier this morning.
"Some kids are already out there starting to do these types of activities," Lt Coston said. "We just sent out a press release today talking about a couple of kids that were stopped for riding bicycles last night at two in the morning with no lights on their bikes and they were out committing vehicle burglaries."
Lt. Coston says many of the common crimes involving youth are a result of kids having nothing to do.
He suggests parents look into alternative activities like the Cape Coral Police Explorers Programhelp keep kids busy and learn new skills.
"Think of it as scouting with a police flavor. They can learn how to shoot and learn a lot of things officers are doing."
According to the program's Facebook page, the department's explorer post helps provide youth an understanding of the law enforcement profession, educate and involve youth in police operations and hope to interest them in a possible career in law enforcement.
Click here if you're interested in tracking crime in your area. If you would like more information on the Cape Coral Police Explorers program click here.
