NCJ Number
92155
Journal
Canadian Police College Journal Volume: 7 Issue: 2 Dated: (1983) Pages: 75-88
Date Published
1983
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This Canadian study provides evidence to support the hypothesis that the police use of discretion plays a crucial role in the official definition of delinquency.
Abstract
Data obtained from the files of the Ottawa Police involved 1,000 consecutive juvenile delinquency cases reported to or detected by the police from May 1, 1980, through September 15, 1980. Data covered the age and sex of the delinquent, the delinquent's prior involvement with the police, the nature of the alleged offense, how the police gained knowledge of the offense, the police disposition of the case, and if a charge was laid, the results of the court proceedings. The findings indicate that when juveniles are brought to the notice of the police, there is only a 38.2-percent probability that they will be considered by the police to have been involved in a delinquent act, a 10.5-percent probability that they will be taken to court, and a 9.5-percent probability that they will be adjudicated delinquent by the court. The probability of being sent to a correctional institution is only 3.6 percent. The findings suggest that if the alleged offense coming to police attention is a minor infraction, the police do not mount a significant investigative effort to obtain evidence of an offense. Delinquents confirmed by police investigation to have been involved in an offense and those ultimately charged are strikingly different. The juveniles' age, the offense committed, and previous involvement with the police played a part in determining whether they are charged. A charge was usually not brought when the juveniles were young, had committed a relatively minor offense, and had no previous contact with the police. Tabular data and 14 references are provided.