Juveniles and their relationship with the Police

Juveniles and their relationship
with the Police


Subject of Discussion:

Interactions and procedures for
dealing with troubled youth



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Juveniles and their relationship
with the Police
Strayer University
Professor – Lori Baggot
Assignment #4
CRJ 180
Online Summer 2012
Felicia McCaw
Juveniles and their relationship
with the Police
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ABSTRACT

Society as we know it is not as it was yesterday. Today reflects our youth in danger of being in non-existence because of the increased prevalence toward delinquency, acts of violence and run ins with the police. Criminal acts of juveniles are steadily increasing and daily we see noted a dangerous trend of violence aimed at adults and any authority figure reflecting lack of respect for anybody including self. Because of this trend of uncontrolled impulses the police are becoming a close shadow in their lives to try to curve and circumvent this negatively exhibited behavior.

























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with the Police
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Today’s society is riddled with problems which consists of crimes, poverty, poor housing, lack of work opportunities and continual conflicts of violence and the result of these problems are problematic youth. Due to the inability to access learning or educational benefits the continual downslide of tomorrow’s future into lack of productivity is a dismal and troubling thought. The desire for getting material wealth and having all the bling and blang is uppermost in youth’s thoughts and having it now without working for it is a primary goal.
Most troubling to all should be the realization and active thought that reality reflects that these youth will go to any ends to accomplish their goal which usually results in destruction of maybe another person, procedural processes or ways of life for some. Due to the lack of maturity noted the actions of youth reflects the lack of foresight of what their actions might bring about and once they have been involved comes the necessity to use the wisdom of the elders to try to mediate, correct and reinstall the social, legalistic norms that have been disrupted and need to be reestablished.
Because of the levels of criminal activity that have increased steadily the need for legalistic norms to be enforced are of a prevalent need and brings in the central role of the police and their historical approach of dealing with juvenile youth and the discretionary options of approaching each youth in trouble.
The role of the police in conjunction with the juvenile system consists of four main categories: arresting delinquents, processing juvenile delinquents and status offenders, preventing juvenile delinquency and protecting juveniles from victimization. One of the roles that is most known by society when apprehending juvenile youth is the role of arrest and

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processing of juvenile delinquents and the attempt to curve both juvenile delinquency and juvenile victimization. The Police serve as the administration of arrest, intake and gatekeepers of the juvenile system and is the first point of contact and allowance and entry into the juvenile justice system (which consists of classifying a youth as a juvenile delinquent, juvenile status offender or juvenile in need of protection).
Police agencies are being called upon to serve as in many capacities that entail dealing with growing social issues and social problems that are being relegated to them to try to address juvenile issues in various ways which would include: enforcing of curfews, truancy laws and other activities to involve youth which may also include sponsoring midnight basketball games to halt gang activity. The purpose is to give youth an alternative outlet and serve as mentorship to remove negatively installed behavioral patterns and replace them with adequate mobile adjusting patterns to change and evolve positively.
Since the levels of delinquency have increased steadily innovative ways are being devised to increase the level to deal with juvenile crime. Prior to changes in the juvenile justice system juveniles were subjected to the same laws, punishments and treatments by the police as adults. In the year of 1925 a system of separation was established in every state and based upon this change the police was allocated a new role which involved duality: dealing with adult crime and dealing with juvenile delinquency. Because of the new demand a separate juvenile division was created in the police department.
The juvenile division was a unique and new facet of policing and allowed the hiring of females into the police department to assist in the juvenile department based on the
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stereotypical thought and assumption that women because of their maternal role would be able to deal with juveniles better. The female officers were assigned different duties and the same stereotype applied which reflects that a maternal instinct would bring out a protective instinct and therefore cause allowance of changes in better behavioral patterns in youth if approached differently than a male.
One of the great turning points in the changing role of the police is that it is divided into three periods (excerpt and referenced from Criminal Law, P. 185 & 186):
Traditional Period or Political Period – During this period of law enforcement, police officers treated juveniles no differently than other offenders. As a result, juveniles were jailed with adults, interrogated like adults, and also experienced the same common place civil rights abuse.
Professional Period – This period of law enforcement began in the early part of the twentieth century just after the creation of the juvenile justice system. This era allowed the removal of politics from policing and allowed many changes in law enforcement. During this time juveniles were still treated like adults but were removed from adults when incarcerated and adjudicated.
Community Period – This period indicated or led with the assumption that the police were out of touch with the community and allowed the police’s role in juvenile justice to be expanded greatly. Embracing the policy of policing the philosophy and concept of police and crime fighters faded and instead the idea that police are one of many organizations to deliver quality of life services to the community. Based on this new philosophy the new operational tactics used in juvenile matters would now embrace a prevention and intervention procedure.
Some of the police roles and responsibilities include the following functions: law enforcement, order maintenance, and community service. Under the law enforcement agencies is the legalistic, watchman and service and usually there is more emphasis on the watchman function which deals with juveniles and the number and type of programs being utilized to help troubled youth. These programs include educational and recreational programmatic interventions in this

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sector than in the legalistic-style department. Under the watchman program is two of the well-known programs called D.A.R.E. and G.R.E.A.T. D.A.R.E. is a controversial school-based program designed to encourage youths to avoid drugs and G.R.E.A.T. is a program in which officers go to schools to educate youth on the dangers of gangs. Also, boot camps are a military-style correctional program where juveniles are subjected to a rigorous regimen of training and education (excerpt from Criminal Law, D.A.R.E., G.R.E.A.T., boot camp definitions, P. 198). For the most part these programs fall under the jurisdiction of the watchman sector but can also be administered by the legalistic department.
The legalistic department would require officers to approach juvenile matters “by the book” and if no violation has occurred no action would be taken. If a criminal action was taken then the area of violation would be the matter of investigation and would be subjected to follow-up and appropriate charges would be levied.
The service-style officers would essentially adopt the role of surrogate parent seeking to intervene in the lives of juveniles in a prevention capacity and approach all juvenile matters with a focus on prevention and intervention.
Although prevention and circumventing criminal activities remain the goal of the police and eradicating acts of criminality and thoughts prevalent to this nature there still exists the manner of processing of juvenile delinquents that violate laws. Most procedures are fairly consistent but any deviance is based on state statutes or local ordinances. The investigating process is relatively unchanged until a juvenile is indicated as the suspect in a crime which would require different procedures and safeguards to be followed. Confidentiality laws act
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serve as protection and allows no labeling and restricts questioning without parental guidance as guaranteed by Miranda Rights. Further restrictions imposed on interactions between the police and juveniles are model policies and statutes classified as CHINS (Child in Need of Supervision), CIN (Conduct in Need of Supervision), MINS (Minor in Need of Supervision), PINS (Person in Need of Supervision) which require certain guidelines to be followed.
Consequently, the actions of a police officer and the relationship established with juveniles may seem not as a positive but what their duty relays is that they are in existence to help and protect not prosecute youth with troubles but enable them a chance to change for the better and become a productive citizen in society. By intercepting and protecting a chance is given to deviate them from truancy and delinquency and moderate behavior to an acceptable level. Therefore, each police office has a great deal of discretion to utilize in making decisions about a youth’s behavior if it is not of a felonious nature and whether or not any action is required.








REFERENCE

Taylor, R.W & Fritsch, E.J., (2011). Juvenile Justice Policies. (3RD ed.).
Boston: McGraw–Hill Learning Solutions

(Taylor & Fritsch, 2011).
Family Rights. Questioning of Juveniles by Law Enforcement Officers and School Employees.
Retrieved August 10, 2012, from
http://familyrights.us/info/law/all_about_miranda/Questioning%20of%20Juveniles.htm
Law. Jrank. Organization. Police: Handling of Juveniles – Historical Overview and Organizational Structure, Legal Rights of Juveniles, Police-juvenile Interactions, Police Handling of Juveniles: Outcomes
Retrieved August 9, 2012, from
http://law.jrank.org/pages/1667/Police-Handling-Juveniles.html