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Hotel industry urges stricter response to repeat juvenile property crime; lawmakers raise data and rehabilitation concerns
Summary
Witnesses for HB 343 told the committee that repeat juvenile property crimes targeting hotels and retail centers are increasing and causing large economic and safety costs; members expressed concerns about mandatory detention language, capacity, and whether judges already have tools. No committee vote was recorded.
Representatives and witnesses described House Bill 343 as a legislative response to a surge of organized, repeat juvenile property crime that hotel and retail operators say is harming business and public safety.
Joe Savarese, president and CEO of the Ohio Hotel and Lodging Association, told the committee his industry provided a sample of 32 hotels that recorded 959 incidents of break-ins, thefts and vandalism over eight months and reported more than $1.25 million in direct security expenses and other revenue losses during that period. "This problem continued to worsen," Savarese said, and the association "supports House Bill 343 as a positive…
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