NCJ Number
68422
Date Published
1976
Length
60 pages
Annotation
THIS REPORT EVALUATES THE NEW ORLEANS POLICE DEPARTMENT'S ATTEMPT TO DEAL WITH INCREASING JUVENILE CRIME BY ESTABLISHING A SPECIALIZED ENFORCEMENT UNIT AND CREATING INNOVATIVE INVESTIGATORY TECHNIQUES.
Abstract
THE UNIT WAS FUNDED FOR 31 MONTHS, STARTING IN SEPTEMBER 1973, BY LEAA. TERMED THE JUVENILE DELINQUENCY ENFORCEMENT COMPONENT (JDEC), THE UNIT CONSISTED OF A SPECIAL SQUAD COMPOSED OF FOUR INVESTIGATORS AND AN ADMINISTRATOR, WITH COMMAND ASSISTANCE FROM A LIEUTENANT AND A SERGEANT. THE UNIT'S GOAL WAS TO PROVIDE RESEARCH AND INVESTIGATION FOR ALL CRIMES BELIEVED TO BE COMMITTED BY JUVENILES, TO DEVELOP DATA FILES, AND TO IMPROVE INFORMATION TRANSFER FROM POLICE TO THE COURT SYSTEM. THE UNIT FOCUSED ON BURGLARY AND ROBBERY. IT ALSO AIMED TO EXECUTE THE BACKLOG OF JUVENILE COURT WARRANTS, ARREST ESCAPEES FROM CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS, AND ALLOCATE OVERTIME FUNDS TO OFFSET THE JUVENILE DIVISION'S PERSONNEL SHORTAGE. DATA FOR THE EVALUATION WERE COLLECTED FROM THE UNIT'S MONTHLY NARRATIVE PROGRESS REPORT AND FROM ARREST AND OFFENSE RECORDS. RESULTS SHOWED THAT THE UNIT HAS ACCOMPLISHED ITS MAIN GOALS DURING ITS 31 MONTHS OF OPERATION. ALMOST THREE-FOURTHS OF THE JUVENILE ARRESTS WERE FOR TARGET OFFENSES. THE BACKLOG OF WARRANTS WAS REDUCED AND SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS OF ESCAPEES FROM CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS HAVE BEEN ARRESTED. THE JDEC DEVELOPED SEVERAL INVESTIGATIVE AIDS AND USED THE OVERTIME FUNDS TO INCREASE COVERAGE BY FIELD OFFICERS. SOME OF THE JDEC'S PROCEDURES HAVE PRODUCED DECREASES IN JUVENILE CRIME; OTHER HAVE PREVENTED INCREASES IN JUVENILE CRIME. FIGURES, TABLES, AND FOOTNOTES ARE INCLUDED.