(NewsNation) — Recent instances of teen violence have captured headlines, and one former police chief has some ideas about how cities can deter these crimes.

Law enforcement in Chicago and Los Angeles have been investigating incidents of teen violence in recent days. Former Detroit Police Chief Ralph Godbee told NewsNation the unruly behavior isn’t unique to those cities.

“I think sometimes there’s a failure or lack of imagination from law enforcement. You have to anticipate when weather is changing, when children have been kind of cooped up in the winter, that there are opportunities for them to come out and there’s some mischief that can happen,” Godbee said.

Godbee said police should be looking at social media where teens are talking to potentially anticipate and intervene in disturbances. He said officers should also look at holding the parents accountable, not just the teens.

“These young people have to be supervised by someone, and you have to hold parents accountable for what their children are able to do,” he said.

He added that states and legislatures should be very deliberate when creating new laws around parental accountability and should first make sure they are enforcing what is already on the books.