DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Davenport’s mayor says the Quad-Cities area needs a juvenile assessment center that offers offenders and their families easy access to the resources they need. Mayor Frank Klipsch told the Quad-City Times that an initial assessment could be made at the center instead of a jail. He says incarceration oftentimes only teaches youth “to be better criminals.” The announcement comes after a months-long plan to reduce youth violence and car thefts. The effort included a community-wide study from juvenile criminal justice experts, law enforcement leaders, social service providers and public officials.

Juvenile justice became a top issue this the summer after a spike in motor vehicle thefts and the high-profile shooting death of Jovantia Jones, a teenager whose killing remains unsolved. City and community leaders held a series of discussions that resulted in the mayor’s report.