Juvenile Bureau

            The Juvenile Bureau handled 979 cases in 2000, resulting in 610 juveniles arrested.  The activities of this Bureau reach beyond the traditional police role of crime prevention and law enforcement.  The members of the Juvenile Bureau employ innovative programs designed to identify “at-risk” children and provide assistance where required.

          During the past year, a working relationship was developed between the Juvenile Bureau and the Family Crisis Center.  This relationship resulted in approximately 150 cases being referred to the Crisis Center instead of the legal system.  144 of these referrals were successfully resolved without requiring an appearance in Juvenile Court.

            Also during 2000, the Juvenile Bureau forged a relationship with the Criminal Justice Institute (a non-profit volunteer program established to mediate conflicts) to deal with school truancy complaints.  Rather than issuing summons to parents of truant children, mediation becomes the first step in the truancy process.  The goal of the program is to find a solution to a child’s problem before it reaches Municipal Court.  244 such cases were mediated in 2000, with 240 successfully resolved.

            This past year, the Juvenile Bureau became an enthusiastic member of the multi-jurisdictional Violent Offender Removal Program.  The goal of this program is to identify, apprehend and prosecute selected violent offenders and street gangs in order to disrupt drug trafficking and open-air drug markets.  The Juvenile Bureau’s contributions to this program aided in the identification of the City’s most violent offenders and the removal of these individuals from the community.

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