A lot of young area criminals have one thing in common: They're from lower-income working families, 16th Circuit Deputy Solicitor Willy Thompson said.
While most impoverished families do not foster criminals, officials have noted a relationship between those charged in crimes and poverty. Children who grow up in lower-income families are more at risk of getting involved in crime.
"That's not saying poverty causes crime, or it is an excuse for crime," Thompson said. "But its one thing they have in common."
Law enforcement officials signaled support Wednesday for an expansion of federal child tax credits for working families struggling during the recession. Officials from Rock Hill, Sumter, York and Fairfield counties gathered in Rock Hill with the director of Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, a national nonprofit organization that works to prevent crime and violence through investments in education and resources for children.
The message: Encourage the federal government to continue an expanded child tax credit to cut poverty and crime.
"A stronger child tax credit rewards work and will help working parents to spend more of what they earn to support their kids," Thompson said. "When that happens, it helps reduce the odds that those kids will end up criminals and that someone we love will end up a victim.
"This isn't an end-all, be-all," he said. "But it helps."
Expanding this credit would help lift more children out of poverty, decrease stress on vulnerable families in this weak economy and decrease the likelihood that the children will commit crimes as adults.
The child tax credit was expanded through the 2009 Recovery Act to so low-income families making at least $3,000 would be able to keep 15 percent of earned income, said Fight Crime: Invest in Kids Director Miriam Rollin said. But at the end of this year, it goes back to its previous minimum earned income of $12,850.
That means more poor, working parents won't be able to keep more of their income to clothe and feed their family, she said.
Just about one in five children are growing up in poverty in the Carolinas, and the current recession has magnified the situation through lower income and job losses.
"We know that we can cut crime by cutting child poverty," said Fairfield County Sheriff Herman Young. "If we invest in our kids, show them the right path, it will help ensure they will continue in the right direction."
The enhanced recovery credit helps 253,000 South Carolina children in families that would stand to lose these benefits if Congress doesn't take action, said Sumter Police Chief Patty Patterson.
"From a law enforcement perspective, all the choices we make have to be in the interest of public safety," she said. "The tax child credit helps kids get a right start in life and make South Carolina communities a better, safe to live.
"The tax will give them a better chance, a fighting chance to do something other than crime," she said.
One study found it is 2 1/2 times more likely that children from a poor family are involved in crime than those from higher-income families, said Rock Hill Police John Gregory.
"Most poor kids are not involved in crime," he said. "We know that."
U.S. Rep. John Spratt said he will take the recommendations made by area law enforcement officials Wednesday back to Washington, D.C., as Congress considers improving this credit.
He said there's bipartisan support for this tax credit change.
"It's basically about the children," he said, "In a case like this, helpful to have law enforcement officials support it."
