Natchez &8212; The Adams County Sheriff&8217;s Department is emphasizing the need to crack down on juvenile crime following the arrests of several juveniles in a string of house burglaries in the county.

Adams County Sheriff&8217;s Office deputies said they were investigating a 14- and a 16-year-old who were in possession of firearms in the area of Palestine Road when a call from a resident reported his home had been burglarized. Handguns reported stolen matched those the juveniles had in possession. Other items reported stolen &8212; a money jar and a game console &8212; were found at one of the youths&8217; homes on Terry Road.

A 16-year-old thought to be behind an August to October string of burglaries in the Lower Woodville Road and Tubman Circle area was arrested recently. Some of the pilfered goods, which include guns, jewelry, money and household items, have been recovered, deputies said.

The sheriff&8217;s department is also investigating a third juvenile theft case.

Deputies have arrested one 15-year-old and are looking for another in connection with a Nov. 16 burglary on Steamplant Road. One of the two guns reported stolen has been recovered.

Brown said the arrests only serve to magnify the severity of juvenile crime in the county.

&8220;We&8217;ve been having a big problem &8230; we&8217;re doing everything we can to deter them,&8221; he said.

Brown said he is using a number of tools to cope with the mounting problem of youth crime: sending deputies to talk to students; having a dedicated juvenile deputy and continuing the Scared Straight and Neighborhood Watch programs.

&8220;More citizens are calling in now reporting crimes than ever before,&8221; Brown said. &8220;It&8217;s community policing and that&8217;s what it&8217;s going to take. When your child comes home with a five-gallon jar of money, something&8217;s not right.&8221;

Juveniles with guns breaking into homes is a dangerous situation for all parties involved, Brown said, and one that he takes very seriously.

But his department can only do so much without parental involvement.

&8220;We&8217;re trying to get the message out: watch your kids, know what&8217;s going on, report the stuff to us and maybe we can deter it. We&8217;re doing all we can but we need help from the other end, too.&8221;