NCJ Number
136769
Date Published
Unknown
Length
9 pages
Annotation
The police and school personnel in Karlstad, Sweden cooperate in many ways to prevent juvenile delinquency.
Abstract
The Karlstad region has 125,000 people, and 5,000 of its 8,000 employees work in educational institutions or social service agencies. The cost of these services amounts to 75 percent of the region's budget. The police department has about 240 police officers and 60 administrative staff. Larceny is the most common crime among the 12,000 crimes reported during 1990, and crime is increasing more slowly than in other Swedish cities. Each school has its own police officer who provides instruction aimed at preventing drug abuse, violence, and other criminality. The police department has also conducted a special campaign against shoplifting. Some police also work as youth recreation leaders, and each year 50 students observe the police directly as trainees at the police agency. Celebrations to observe holidays and the end of the term are also part of police efforts to prevent juvenile delinquency. These efforts have resulted in a decrease in reported crimes and the number of juveniles charged with intoxication.