Stay tuned in to our local news coverage: Listen to 90.7 WMFE on your FM or HD radio, the WMFE mobile app or your smart speaker — say “Alexa, play NPR” and you’ll be connected.

School based arrests are at their lowest level in ten years, according to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice.

The DJJ report shows arrests fell from 16,703 in 2009- 2010, to 9,250 in 2013- 2014.

Mark Greenwald is director of research at DJJ.

He said one reason for the decline in arrests is the availability of alternatives.

“Most kids they just need the quick sanctions, the community service, and then they can go back to school and they don’t have an arrest record,” he said.

“There’s other types of diversion style alternatives to arrest that are available in different counties around the state. It might be teen courts or drug courts or other type things.”

DJJ monitors the number of youth arrested for offences on school grounds, a school bus stop or at an official school event.