NCJ Number
48369
Journal
Criminology Volume: 13 Issue: 1 Dated: (MAY 1975) Pages: 78-89
Date Published
1975
Length
12 pages
Annotation
TO EXAMINE THE UNIFORMITY OF JUVENILE ARREST DEFINITIONS AND OPERATIONS, INTERVIEWS, QUESTIONNAIRES, AND OBSERVATION DATA COLLECTED FROM 49 POLICE STATIONS IN RURAL, URBAN, AND SUBURBAN AREAS WERE ANALYZED.
Abstract
PERSONNEL SUPPLYING INFORMATION INCLUDED POLICE CHIEFS, RECORDING CLERKS, AND POLICE OFFICERS. ALL DATA COME FROM STATIONS LOCATED IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. ACCORDING TO THE BUREAU OF CRIMINAL STATISTICS (BCS), ARREST IS DEFINED BY THE PRESENCE OF INTENT TO TAKE THE JUVENILE INTO CUSTODY, ACTUAL OR PRETENDED AUTHORITY, ACTUAL OR CONSTRUCTIVE RESTRAINT OR DETENTION, AND SUBMISSION OF THE JUVENILE TO THE AUTHORITY OF THE ARRESTING INDIVIDUAL. INTERVIEWS WITH 77 JUVENILE OFFICERS REVEALED SUBSTANTIAL CONFUSION ABOUT WHAT CONSTITUTED A JUVENILE ARREST. IN SOME INSTANCES ARREST WAS DEFINED AS A BOOKING, IN OTHERS AS ANY DETENTION, AND IN YET OTHERS AS ANY RECORDED OR UNRECORDED CONTACT BETWEEN AN OFFICER AND A JUVENILE. CLEARLY THE UNIFORMITY SOUGHT BY THE BCS WAS BEING SUBVERTED AT THE INITIAL DECISION POINT IN THE SYSTEM. A SIMILAR PATTERN OF AMBIGUITY AND DIFFERENTIAL CONCEPTUALIZATION WAS FOUND AMONG THE 47 POLICE CHIEFS INTERVIEWED. BOOKING WAS CITED AS CRITICAL TO THE DEFINITION OF ARREST BY 21 OF THE 47 CHIEFS, A CONCEPTUALIZATION AT ODDS WITH THE BCS DEFINITION. CONSIDERABLY GREATER UNIFORMITY WAS FOUND AMONG RECORDING CLERKS OR OFFICERS; 20 PERCENT USED 'BROUGHT TO THE STATION' AS THE OPERATIONAL CRITERION FOR INCLUSION OF A JUVENILE IN THE BCS STATISTICS. IN THE REMAINING 20 PERCENT, BOOKING IS USED AS THE CRITERIA FOR A JUVENILE ARREST. EVEN AMONG THE 80 PERCENT WHO CONSIDER JUVENILES BROUGHT TO THE STATION AS ARRESTED, THERE EXISTS CONSIDERABLE VARIATION. THE FOLLOWING MAY OR MAY NOT BE INCLUDED IN ARREST STATISTICS BY THESE DEPARTMENTS: TRUANCY, CURFEW VIOLATION, FIELD CONTACTS, MISSING PERSONS, REFERRALS, AND EXONERATED JUVENILES. IMPLICATIONS OF THIS AMBIGUITY ABOUT WHAT CONSTITUTES A JUVENILE ARREST ARE DISCUSSED IN RELATIONSHIP TO RESEARCH AND POLICE DECISIONMAKING AND PLANNING. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT BCS GUIDELINES BE REVISED TO BETTER CONFORM TO ACTUAL PRACTICE AND THAT AN EFFORT BE MADE TO ACHIEVE GREATER UNIFORMITY TO THESE REVISED GUIDELINES IN THE PRACTICE OR INDIVIDUAL RECORDING UNITS. NO GRAPHIC OR TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED. A SINGLE REFERENCE SOURCE IS CITED. (JAP)