NCJ Number
13766
Journal
Criminology Volume: 11 Issue: 4 Dated: (FEBRUARY 1974) Pages: 570-580
Date Published
1974
Length
11 pages
Annotation
FORTY-THREE POLICE DEPARTMENT JUVENILE BUREAUS IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY WERE ANALYZED WITH RESPECT TO FACTORS AFFECTING THE POLICE HANDLING OF JUVENILES.
Abstract
THE FINDINGS OF THIS STUDY GENERALLY LEAD TO THE CONCLUSION THAT POLICE CHARACTERISTICS ALONE (PROFESSIONALIZATION AND COMMUNITY ATTACHMENT) DO NOT EXPLAIN POLICE DIVERSION OF JUVENILES. ONE POSSIBLE AVENUE OF INQUIRY WOULD BE TO EXAMINE THE COMBINED EFFECTS OF POLICE, OFFENDER, AND COMMUNITY CHARACTERISTICS. DESPITE THIS CAVEAT, THE FINDINGS SUGGEST THERE IS SOME UTILITY IN COMPARING THE RELATIVE STRENGTHS OF VARIOUS POLICE CHARACTERISTICS IN PREDICTING DIVERSION OF JUVENILES. THE AMOUNT OF JUVENILE TRAINING RECEIVED BY THE OFFICERS, THE ESTIMATE OF LOCAL FRIENDSHIPS OF THE OFFICERS, AND THE OFFICERS' RESIDENCE WERE THE BEST PREDICTORS OF DIVERSION RATES. THE MAJOR PROBLEM ENCOUNTERED WAS DEVELOPING AN ADEQUATE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK CONCERNING POLICE ORIENTATIONS AND IDENTIFYING APPROPRIATE INDICATORS OF POLICE CHARACTERISTICS AND ORIENTATIONS. IT WAS FOUND THAT A SINGLE DIMENSION, SUCH AS PROFESSIONALIZATION-COMMUNITY ATTACHMENT, HAS LIMITED VALUE IN CHARACTERIZING JUVENILE BUREAU ORIENTATIONS VIS-A-VIS DIVERSION OF JUVENILES. FURTHER, THE FINDINGS, ALSO RAISE CRITICAL QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE MEANING OF PROFESSIONALIZATION AND THE INDICATORS OFTEN USED TO MEASURE IT WHEN DEALING WITH OCCUPATIONAL GROUPS SUCH AS THE POLICE. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)