Chapter Twelve

Police Work with Juveniles

Learning Objectives

After reading this chapter, students should:

1. Be able to identify key historical events that have shaped juvenile policing in
America today.
2. Understand key roles and responsibilities of the police in responding to juvenile
offenders.
3. Be able to comment on the organization and management of police services for
juveniles.
4. Be aware of major court cases that have influenced police practices.
5. Understand key legal aspects of police work, including search and seizure and
custodial interrogation, and how they apply to juveniles.
6. Be able to describe police use of discretion and factors that influence discretion.
7. Understand the importance of police use of discretion with juveniles and some of
the associated problems.
8. Be familiar with the major policing strategies to prevent delinquency.
9. See the pros and cons of police using different delinquency prevention strategies.

Chapter Outline

I. History of Juvenile Policing

A. Providing specialized police services for juveniles is a relatively recent
phenomenon
B. Origins of police agencies can be traced to early English society, with the pledge
system and later with the watch system.
C. With the industrial revolution the need for police protection increased
D. In the American colonies, local sheriff became the most important police official
E. By the mid 1800’s city police departments had formed in Boston, New York and
Philadelphia
F. Juvenile aid bureaus organized by the police started in the 1930’s in Berkeley,
California by August Vollmer
G. In the 1960’s policing entered a turbulent period, Supreme Court decisions
designed to restrict police operation and discretion
H. The role of the juvenile police officer has taken on added importance
I. Most urban law enforcement agencies now have specialized juvenile police
programs

II. Police and Juvenile Offenders

A. Recently a new view of policing has emerged among the police
1. The concept that the police role should be to maintain order and be visible

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 and accessible to the community
2. This new movement if referred to as community policing
3. Community policing is the strategy that emphasizes fear reduction,
community organization, and order maintenance rather crime fighting
4. Working with juveniles offender may be especially challenging, difficult
and emotional for police officers
5. The desire to help may seem in conflict with the traditional police duties
of crime prevention and law enforcement
B. Police Roles
1. Juvenile officers operate either as specialists in a police department or as
part of the juvenile unit of a police department
2. Most juvenile officers are appointed after some patrol experience
3. Desire to work with juveniles and aptitude are essential for the job
4. Conflict may occur between their desire to perform primary duty, law
enforcement and the need to aid in the rehabilitation of youthful offenders
5. Officers must consider what is in the “best interests of the child” and how
the actions will influence the future well-being of the child
6. It is estimated that almost two-thirds (66 percent) of all juvenile arrests are
referred to juvenile court, 22 percent are handled informally within the
police department
7. Police ordinarily select the least restrictive alternative for minor criminal
conduct or incorrigible behavior
C. Police and Violent Juvenile Crime
1. Violent juvenile offenders are defined as those adjudicated delinquent for
crimes of homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, and kidnapping
2. Juveniles account for 15 percent of all violent crime arrests
3. Since the mid 1990’s, juvenile violence rate has declined substantially,
level off in recent years
4. Research show a number of effective policing practices, including directed
police patrols, proactive arrests, and problem-oriented policing

III. Police and the Rule of Law

A. Police involvement with juvenile offenders is controlled by statute, constitutional
case law, and justice reviews
B. Police methods of investigation and control will include arrest procedures, search
and seizure, and custodial interrogation
C. The Arrest Procedure
1. Most states require that the law of arrest be the same for both adults and
juveniles, officer must have probable cause
2. Probable cause is reasonable ground to believe the existence of facts that
an offense was committed and the accused committed that offense
3. Police have broader latitude to arrest juveniles, statues give the police the
authority to act in loco parentis (Latin for “in place of the parent”)
D. Search and Seizure
1. Courts have held that the Fourth Amendment ban against unreasonable

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 search and seizure applies to juveniles and any illegally seized evidence is
inadmissible
E. Custodial Interrogation
1. In the Miranda 1966 case, the Supreme Court placed constitutional
limitations on police interrogation procedures
2. Juveniles have the same rights as adults against self-incrimination
3. The Supreme Court case of in re Gault, stated that constitutional
privileges against self-incrimination are applicable to juvenile cases

IV. Discretionary Justice

A. Juvenile offenders receive nearly as much procedural discretion as adult offenders
B. Police have a broader authority in dealing with juveniles
C. Police discretion is selective enforcement of the law by authorized police agents
D. Police officers have a choice among possible courses of action within limits of
their power and authority
E. A suggests that 64% of police contacts with juveniles is handled informally
F. Another study suggests that 13% of police encounters with juveniles result in
arrest
G. Environmental Factors: the norms of the community affect the decision of the
officer, liberal environments versus conservative communities
H. Police Policy: customs of the local police also influence decision, directives
instruct officers to be alert to certain types of juvenile violations
I. Situational Factors: factors attached to a particular crime, such as specific traits of
offenders, might include demeanor and appearance, dress, attitude, speech, and
level of hostility toward police
J. Bias and Police Discretion
1. A great deal of debate has generated over this issue
a) Racial Bias: it has long been charged that police are more likely to
act formally with African American suspects, they are arrested at a
disproportionate rate to their representation in the population
b) Gender Bias: hold that police are more likely to act paternally
toward young girls and not arrest them, others believe police are
more likely to arrest due to the stereotypes of the female
c) Organizational Bias: professional (skills and knowledge) and
bureaucratization can characterized a police department; some
departments are insulated from the communities they serve; lower
class neighborhoods experience much greater police scrutiny than
middle class areas, greater chance of arrest

V. Police Work and Delinquency Prevention

A. Police have taken a lead in delinquency prevention
1. Some using deterrent powers and positive relationships with schools,
community and other juvenile justice agencies
B. Aggressive Law Enforcement
1. Patrolling targeted areas; high visibility; arrests for minor and serious

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 infractions
C. Police in Schools
1. Collaborate with school staff to create a safer school environment and
develop programs to meet that goal
2. 14,000 police officers are working in schools
3. Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.)
4. Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.)
5. Community Outreach through Police in Schools Program
D. Community Policing
1. Engages citizens and community-based organizations in order to gain the
trust and assistance of concerned citizens
2. Across the country 55,000 community policing officers
E. Problem-Oriented Policing
1. Involves analysis and response to the problems underling criminal
incidents; engages community and other juvenile justice agencies
2. S.A.R.A.: a four stem model stands for Scanning, Analysis, Response and
Assessment
3. Most successful application Boston’s Operation Ceasefire
4. Partnership to Reduce Juvenile Gun Violence Program, sponsored by the
OJJDP, a comprehensive initiative to reduce juvenile gun violence in four
cities
F. Delinquency Prevention, Intervention, and Treatment: Boston’s Operation
Ceasefire

VI. Future of Juvenile Policing

A. Many challenges confront police response to juvenile offending, among these are:
1. Witness intimidation
2. Charges of racial profiling
3. Poor relations with the communities
4. Distrust of police
B. Soft and hard technologies into police work will also become more important in
the years to come
1. Soft technologies: involves information technology to enhance police
operational and administrative decision-making
2. Hard technologies: involves nonlethal weapons, such as TASER or stun
gun, and other alternative weapons systems
C. New approaches show promising results in reducing serious offenses, such as
gang activity and gun crimes, including:
1. Community-based policing services
2. Police in schools
3. Problem-oriented policing

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Lecture Notes

Most modern police agencies have specialized units or officers who work with juveniles. Police
working with juveniles usually have skills and talents that go beyond those associated with
regular police work. The number of officers assigned to work with juveniles has increased over
the years and most are only appointed after gaining some general patrol experience in the
community.

Many states require that the law of arrest be the same for juvenile and adults. However, police
have broader latitude to control youthful offenders; they may intervene for status offenses as well
as delinquent crime. Many state statutes are designed to provide officers with the authority to act
in loco parentis, which is to act in the place of a parent.

The police officers rule of law is very similar to adults in the criminal justice system. The
methods of investigations, arrest, search and seizure and interrogation are similar, youthful
offenders are protected by the same statutes, constitutional case law, and judicial reviews.
Juvenile delinquents under arrest are to be given the Miranda warning and the courts have ruled
that the warning does apply to the juvenile process.

Officers use a lot of discretion in dealing with juvenile offenders and it has long been charged
that police are more likely to act formally with the African American youth to the benefit of
European American offenders. Discretion is the selective enforcement of the law by police
agents. It is influence by environmental factors, police policy, procedural justice, situational
factors, and bias. Research suggests that more than 64% of police contacts are handled
informally and about 13% of encounters result in arrest.

The police departments have used different strategies to control juvenile crime. Among these are
aggressive saturation patrol for minor offenses in specific target gang areas of the community,
arrest for any law violations, prevention programs involving the schools and other community
based organizations, assisting the community with their needs and identifying problems that may
lead to crime. A successful approach has been involving the community and other juvenile
justice agencies and working collaboratively; this strategy has been identified as crucial to the
development of a comprehensive approach to youth crime.

Class Discussion/Activities

1. Discuss the special skills and characteristics of officers working with juveniles.

2. Identify the elements that influence police discretion.

3. Place students in small groups and have them discuss the community policing strategy.

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Assignments

1. Invite a police officer who works with juveniles to your class. Discuss the police
department’s policy regarding juveniles, are they treated any different, what special
circumstances might apply when the police is using their discretion?

2. Research programs where the community policing or problem-oriented policing

strategies are being used in your community or state.

3. Develop a research paper on the pros and cons of community policing.

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