Police have a lot of responsibilities and power that they can use to help ensure that juvenile cases are handled discreetly. In all cases, police should have a level of discretion but this holds especially true for juvenile cases. Police have a wider range of options they can use when dealing with juveniles than in any other type of case, and these options are there for a reason. Police officers can release the juvenile to his parent or guardian, put the juvenile in protective custody, and can change up the interrogation processes (“The juvenile justice,” n.d.).
Community-oriented policing is basically a type of policing where problems are solved through organizational strategies that utilize partnerships and techniques for problem-solving. This helps solve immediate issues and increases response time (Roufa, 2017). This approach impacts juveniles positively, as it’s often seen as a way to protect and support youth using community services. It’s important to understand that many of the poorer communities stricken with poverty do not have the type of community services that more wealthy communities have. Therefore, this method of community policing is effective in some places and ineffective in many others (“The involvement of,” n.d.).
Police often come in contact with juveniles, and they have many options as to what to do when they do so. Cases that reach juvenile courts are only a slice of the pie when it comes to juvenile crimes. Police are often met with unique issues, so it’s a good thing that they can respond and handle youth in different ways. Police can bring them back home and let them off with a warning, or they can classify the juvenile as a delinquent and assign community service and perhaps detention. Some say this is unfair, but it really depends on how much we trust police to make these extremely important decisions (“Police: Handling of,” n.d.).
- (n.d.). Retrieved August 23, 2017, from https://www.ojjdp.gov/action/sec3.htm
- Police: Handling of Juveniles. (n.d.). Retrieved August 23, 2017, from http://www.encyclopedia.com/law/legal-and-political-magazines/police-handling- juveniles
- Police: Handling of Juveniles – Historical Overview And Organizational Structure, Legal Rights Of Juveniles, Police-juvenile Interactions, Police Handling Of Juveniles: Outcomes. (n.d.). Retrieved August 23, 2017, from http://law.jrank.org/pages/1667/Police-Handling- Juveniles.html
- Roufa, T. (n.d.). How Police, Criminologists and Community Leaders Can Work Together. Retrieved August 23, 2017, from https://www.thebalance.com/community-oriented- policing-974578
