The NYPD and community groups say they are concerned about violence among teenagers. However, advocates want to make sure young people are fully protected under the law when they are accused of any crime.

This past week, several advocacy groups held a youth justice event at St. Mary’s Park in the South Bronx.

Two young men in attendance said police officers often try to trick teenagers and young adults into speaking about alleged crimes without them having a lawyer present.

A 19-year-old — who chose to remain anonymous due to an ongoing case — said it has happened to him twice.

"When I was 14 years old and I was being interrogated by police officers, they kept on telling me they seen me do the crime, they seen me do this, they seen me do that," the teenager told NY1. "All I did was remain silent. I didn't say a thing. Recently, I got locked up. I’m over here requesting for a lawyer and they were straight up ignoring me, questioning me, telling me they know I am one of these people that have guns in they neighborhood."

The teenager said he did not have a gun.

Organizers of the event spoke about two pieces of legislation being pushed by Democratic state lawmakers from the city. The #Right2RemainSilent bill would insure children under 18 years old have immediate access to a lawyer when taken into custody and that their parents are notified before they are transported to a police precinct station house.

"What we known from decades of research is that children don't really understand the right to remain silent. They don't understand what it means to waive the right," said Theresa Moser of the Legal Aid Society. "The bill would require that they are given a lawyer to consult with before any questioning can begin from police."

The Legal Aid Society released a video of what it says is a detective tricking a young person and his mother into speaking after the teenager said he did not want to speak without a lawyer present.

Advocates at the youth justice event said that the numbers are very troubling when it comes to young people being manipulated by law enforcement.

"One of things that we know is that 90% of kids give up their right to remain silent without understanding what the right is," Moser said.

Moser added that about one-third of people exonerated across the country for convictions when they were under 18 years old were convicted based on false confessions.

Another piece of legislation advocates hope state lawmakers pass is called the Youth Justice and Opportunities Act. It would expand alternatives to incarceration for certain crimes and seal some records for people 25 years old and younger.

"Not every young person that interfaces with the criminal justice system is a complete write-off," said Ikim Powell of the Exalt Youth pogram.

The organizers of the Bronx event said their goal is not for young people who commit crimes to get off wihtout consequences, but instead to get second chances and opportunities.