STUDY OF FACTORS RELATED TO POLICE DIVERSION OF JUVENILES - DEPARTMENTAL POLICY AND STRUCTURE, COMMUNITY ATTACHMENT, AND PROFESSIONALIZATION OF POLICE

• NCJ Number: 49252
• Author(s): R A SUNDEEN
• Date Published: 1971
• Length: 171 pages
• Sale Source: UMI Dissertation Services
• Publication Type: Thesis/Dissertation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA - DOCTORAL DISSERTATION

Annotation

A MODEL INTENDED TO EXPLAIN DIFFERENCES IN DIVERSION RATES AMONG POLICE DEPARTMENTS AND JURISDICTIONS IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CALIF., IS DEVELOPED AND TESTED WITH DATA FROM 43 DEPARTMENTS.

Abstract

IT IS HYPOTHESIZED THAT, IF BUREAUCRATIC CONTROL (CONTROL EXERCISED BY ADMINISTRATORS OVER DISPOSITION DECISIONS MADE BY JUVENILE OFFICERS) IS HIGH, THEN COUNSEL AND RELEASE (DIVERSION) RATES WILL BE HIGH, BUT THAT, IF BUREAUCRATIC CONTROL IS LOW, THEN DIVERSION RATES WILL DEPEND ON THE LEVELS OF PROFESSIONALIZATION AND COMMUNITY ATTACHMENT OF THE DEPARTMENT. DATA GATHERED FROM JUVENILE OFFICERS AND SUPERVISORS ON INDICATORS SELECTED TO REPRESENT EACH OF THE MAJOR CONCEPTS (BUREAUCRATIC CONTROL, PROFESSIONALIZATION, COMMUNITY ATTACHMENT) PROVIDE LITTLE SUPPORT FOR THE PROPOSED MODEL. THE FINDINGS ARE SAID TO WARN AGAINST APPLYING TRADITIONAL MODELS OF PROFESSIONALIZATION TO THE POLICE OCCUPATION IN GENERAL AND TO JUVENILE OFFICERS IN PARTICULAR. THE DATA DO SUGGEST THAT THERE MAY BE THREE TYPES OF JUVENILE OFFICERS -- THE JUVENILE SPECIALIST, THE POLICE GENERALIST, AND THE FRATERNAL POLICE -- WITH CONTRASTING CHARACTERISTICS. DETAILS OF MODEL DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING ARE PROVIDED. IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS ARE DISCUSSED, AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH ARE OFFERED. SUPPORTING DATA AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)