The Windsor Police Service is reporting a rise in youth crime.
Assaults, mischief and shoplifting are all up, according to statistics released by the service.
From September 2024 to this September, assaults are up 50 percent, shoplifting incidents rose from 11 to 24 - a 118 per cent increase, while mischief cases jumped from 21 to 51 - a 143 per cent increase.
Police also report 26 per cent of accused youth offenders so far in 2025, are repeat offenders.
Windsor Police Inspector Jennifer Crosby says they believe the rise could be due to economic factors forcing youth to steal food to eat, or social peer pressure to fit it, or get attention from parents or teachers.
Inspector Crosby says the increase is staggering.
"I can't fit in into this neat little box, unfortunately, because if we could, we would have this solved and we would have it all figured out, and we wouldn't be having this conversation about why the numbers are going up."
Joanna Conrad, Executive Director at Youth Diversion, says it could be due to a number of reasons.
"We haven't seen high shoplifting rates in years. And so, the fact that this is now coming through is telling me they're stealing because either they want the stuff, they want money from the stuff which they plan to sell, or they're hungry and they're stealing food."
Conrad says it's often group situations.
"They're coming through oftentimes in pairs or in groups, which is telling us that there's an element of peer pressure that's involved."
In January 2024, Windsor Police created the role of Youth Crime Constable to work in the Special Victims Unit.
Since then, 'warnings' under the Youth Criminal Justice Act have gone up 288 per cent.
For less serious offences and younger offenders - those under age 12 - will be referred to Youth Diversion for counselling, therapy and other supports.
-with files from CTV Windsor's Michelle Maluske