WASHINGTON (DC News Now) -- D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced on Thursday the launch of a new unit tailored to respond to crimes involving young people. The Juvenile Investigative Response Unit (JIRU) is an initiative "designed to respond more effecti vely to youth-involved crime," the Mayor's Office stated. Its goal is to provide at-risk youth with alternatives to crime, while also ensuring that repeat offenders are held accountable. At a press conference Thursday, MPD Chief Pamela Smith said there has been an increase in fights in school, as well as an increase in juveniles as suspects in crimes across D.C. New food bank pop-ups coming to DMV for federal workers affected by sweeping layoffs JIRU will focus on strengthening the police's outreach to young people and bringing youth investigations under one unit, with a goal to break cycles of recidivism and prevent offenses. “There is nothing more important to me than the safety and well-being of our youth,” Smith stated. “Our goal is to prevent offenses and disrupt the cycle that often leads young people into a life of crime, ensuring a brighter future for our communities.”    The unit will work with DC Public Schools, the Child and Family Services Agency, the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services and other District-wide agencies to ensure a "comprehensive, whole-government approach." JIRU itself will operate within the police department's Youth and Family Engagement Division, with three core missions: Expanding outreach to young people already in the criminal justice system to prevent repeat offenses. Investigating violent offenses involving juvenile offenders. Identifying and apprehending youth with outstanding custody orders. Smith added that success will be measured by tracking recidivism rates. ...read more read less