NCJ Number
150287
Date Published
1994
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This bulletin reviews model policies and current Texas police department policies for juvenile offenders.
Abstract
The major areas of police involvement which concern juveniles include domestic disturbances, home burglaries, vandalism, complaints by the elderly, traffic enforcement, and offenses against children. These areas account for at least 50 percent of the total requirement for police services. The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), lists police responsibilities toward juveniles, including removing juveniles from school, detaining juvenile offenders, interacting with parents or guardians, and taking juveniles into custody. Enactment of juvenile policies is necessary to make the department more professional, to concur with a chief or sheriff's assignment, and to accede to political and community pressure. Juvenile policies should cover preventive patrol techniques, detection and apprehension of juvenile offenders and adults who contribute to delinquency, follow-up as needed in the referral of offenders, and retention of juvenile records. This document provides examples of Texas juvenile policies in terms of goals, disposition of offenses, rights of the juvenile, and interrogations and confessions. 3 references