NCJ Number
77481
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 21 Issue: 1 Dated: (January 1981) Pages: 27-46
Date Published
1981
Length
20 pages
Annotation
The decisions of police in the London metropolitan area (England) regarding whether to charge juveniles immediately or refer them to the juvenile bureau were analyzed with respect to effects of legal and nonlegal variables.
Abstract
A logit multivariate technique was used to examine police decisions regarding 1,444 juveniles in 5 divisions of the London Metropolitan Police District. The decisions were all made during the last quarter of 1978. Data were collected from the standard official registration forms used by the police for statistical purposes. Legal variables included the offense, previous referrals to the juvenile bureau, and previous convictions. Nonlegal variables were geographic area, age, sex, and ethnic group. Results showed that while the previous criminal record and type of offense played a major role in police decisionmaking, the extralegal variables of area, age, and ethnic group also had a significant effect on the decision. Blacks involved in crimes of violence, burglary, and public disorder and other offenses were treated more harshly than were their white counterparts. Thus, more research is needed, especially on the role of situational factors, such as the interaction between the juvenile and the police, because informal discussions with police officers indicated that black juveniles are usually more antagonistic toward the police than are white juveniles. Findings also add to the empirical evidence indicating that nonlegal variables affect decisionmaking in criminal justice agencies. Also, the method of analysis used in the study has potential practical value as a self-evaluative device for the police. Tables, footnotes, and 31 references are provided. (Author abstract modified)