Well, here's the scenario. I believe this probably happens in every major city in the country. We have gangs, as does every other major city, and the facts of life are that they know how to play the system. They recruit juveniles--youth--to commit the crimes and to do the dirty work, because they know they get a slap on the wrist. They are arrested on a Tuesday and they are back out on a Thursday.
That's the sad reality. Imagine how frustrating it is for the men and women of every police department in every city to arrest them knowing they'll be out right away. It's hard to do your job when you know that they're going to be out right away and that these people are going to be used by gangs over and over again. A strong message has to be sent.