In recent decades, the surge in the elderly population and an explosion of violent juvenile crime have been on a collision course in New York State. New York's elderly are particularly vulnerable to violent crime because most live in large cities. The elderly probably also fail to report many crimes because they fear reprisals and are reluctant to become involved in the criminal justice system. Statistics on robberies, purse snatchings, assaults, and homicides demonstrate that crimes against New York's elderly have increased significantly since 1973. While the United States as a whole has shown an enormous increase in arrests of juveniles age 15 and under in the last 25 years, New York's share of this crime has been disproportionately higher than the national average. By relying on physical age as the sole criterion of maturity, New York's juvenile justice system has locked itself into a static position that cannot cope with the culture of violence endemic to New York. Moreover, cuts in law enforcement personnel are reflected in rising crime rates. In this situation, projections indicate that more senior citizens will become victims and violent juvenile crime will increase. Because of violent juveniles, any elderly citizens now live in a state of siege and cannot exercise their basic constitutional rights. Victimization studies show that blacks and Hispanics, as well as the elderly, are far more severely victimized in proportion to their numbers in the population. This trend is illustrated by statistics on homicides, rapes, robberies, burglaries, and motor vehicle thefts. Tables are included. See also NCJ 81987 and NCJ 81989.