STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Three car thefts on Staten Island in a 24-hour span last week triggered police responses, a pair of crashes and the arrests of multiple teens, leading one of Staten Island’s top law enforcement officials to call for changes in the state’s “Raise the Age” law.

The reform effectively changed the age a child can be prosecuted as an adult to 18 years old, since New York was one of just two states that previously held 16-year-olds criminally responsible, at the time. The law went into effect for 16-year-olds on Oct. 1, 2018, and 17-year-olds on Oct. 1, 2019.

District Attorney Michael E. McMahon, in a statement released on Friday, said the law will disallow his office from pursuing the cases.

“While those responsible for these unacceptable thefts were apprehended, as a result of Albany’s ‘Raise the Age Laws,’ our office is barred from prosecuting these cases, as each case will be sent to Family Court for prosecution by the City’s Law Department,” said McMahon. “While we believe in second chances, the current system put in place by misguided Albany legislators does nothing to hold these young people accountable, only teaching the lesson that their terrible conduct goes with limited to no consequences.”

The first incident, a police chase involving two juvenile suspects early on Aug. 14, 2023, took out a Concord-based firefighter monument honoring those who’ve died in the line of duty. Two 16-year-old males were arrested at the scene, police said.

Later that day, two teens — a 16-year-old boy and a 17-year-old boy — driving a stolen vehicle attempted to flee police Monday in Castleton Corners but instead crashed the car and were arrested with a loaded firearm.

A police response in Grasmere around 7 p.m. that night, stemming from the search for individuals sought for questioning in connection with a car stolen in New Jersey, led to several individuals being taken into custody, according to the NYPD.

McMahon said individuals under the age of 18 were arrested in each of the three incidents.

Research conducted by the New York City Criminal Justice Agency and released last year found nearly half of 16-year-olds arrested after the law went into effect were re-arrested for a different crime shortly afterwards. Some experts, however, expressed criticism over the study and said it does not reliably assess the implementation of the law.

“Raise the Age” was intended to provide young offenders with a less-punitive environment in family court while also attempting to deter recidivism and encourage connection to support services. Violent felony cases are still tried in the court’s youth criminal part if prosecutors show enough evidence that the defendant displayed a deadly weapon, seriously injured someone who wasn’t engaged in the crime or committed a sexual offense.

Staten Island officials previously introduced legislation aimed at adding possession of a loaded firearm or a gun with separate ammunition to the list of crimes that are kept out of family court. Currently, simply possession a loaded weapon would not allow the district attorney’s office to retain a teen’s case.

McMahon’s office said it frequently makes motions based on extraordinary circumstances in an effort to keep the cases but are overwhelmingly denied.

“These laws also undo the tremendous work of our partners in the NYPD, and fail our children by excusing them of any responsibility or accountability for their criminal actions,” said McMahon. “Things must change, and office will continue our aggressive advocacy to Governor Hochul and our state legislative leaders to fix this disastrous so-called ‘reform’ before more Staten Islanders are hurt.”