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Mary Richards reportingLast week, we told you about a mother who called police when she found her son breaking into a neighbor's house. Many of you responded with what you would do.
So what should you do?
Crisis Counselor Don Briggs says it's hard to say what a parent should do if they catch their child committing a crime.
Don Briggs: "There are so many issues there. It depends on what kind of relationship you have with your child."
Briggs works for Salt Lake County Youth Services. He says if you have a good relationship with your child, talk to them first.
Don Briggs: "You need to find out why they are breaking into a neighbor's house."
Briggs says what to do is ultimately up to the parent. He says sometimes, the police do need to be involved. He says depending on the teen's crime or record, they could go to a county's youth services for counseling or intervention, instead of to the Juvenile Court System.
But Briggs says the court system definitely shows that there are consequences to crime.
Catherine Higgins says youth services has many benefits that are free, that the public may not know about. She says her son got into trouble as a youth - he shot out a neighbor's window with a BB gun. The police were called.
Catherine Higgins: "He was charged with discharging a firearm."
He was sentenced to 20 hours community service; she asked for 25.
Catherine Higgins: "He's now a responsible adult."
Her son is now a firefighter.
