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According to a new report published by the Southern Poverty Law Center Florida arrested 38 percent of children caught committing first time offenses last year.

Police have the option of issuing a civil citation to youth offenders who commit minor offenses.

“Giving kids the opportunity to make a mistake without having to have an arrest record,” said Barney Bishop with the Florida Smart Justice Alliance.

Since 2011 law enforcement’s use of civil citations has increased between five and eight percent each year, but the report shows last year civil citations hit a plateau, increasing only one percent.

“That troubles us because what we see is that juvenile civil citations result in better outcomes for kids,” said Scott McCoy with SPLC Action.

In all, 6,200 children were arrested for first time minor offenses last year.

The report also found more than 600 children 12 years old and younger were arrested last year for first time misdemeanors.

Nearly half of those arrests were of children 11 and younger.

Ten law enforcement agencies accounted for a disproportionate share of the arrests.

Combined they charged 1,900 juveniles, or nearly a third of all first time youth arrests statewide.

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office topped the list, arresting 44 percent of first time youth offenders.

“There are several jurisdictions around the state that are not embracing this idea, are not following the data and the research to see that this has a better outcome both for the community and for the kids,” said McCoy.

Legislative attempts to require civil citations for first offenders have failed, and because the citations aren’t mandatory, change will likely have to come at the local level.

“Changing the attitudes of the sheriffs or the police chiefs to using this methodology versus whatever they’re using now,” said Bishop.

Ironically while, Hillsborough topped this list for the most arrests, neighboring Pinellas County scored the best, issuing civil citations in 97 percent of cases.

Despite the slow growth of civil citations last year, criminal justice advocates point out Florida continues to lead the nation in juvenile pre-arrest diversion programs.