And one more thing Boar, instead of "community service", how about letting them work at the place that's fixing them? Like yours got hit, and if you caught the guy and didn't like totally mutilate him, make him work at the shop for free to put your ride back right, and make him detail it from the top of the top to the freakin wheel weights. I'd babysit with a baseball bat and make sure they do it right.
Make them work it off. I'm tired of this crap of criminals just sitting around (need a new thread about this one) doing nothing or the dang parents pay up. Yes, it does come down to parenting, I agree. If I even had a thought, or got messed up with "those kind of people", my Dad would have kicked my butt, with a lecture too. When Daddy said no, you just didn't do it.