34 2 Police and Law Enforcement—-Juvenile Forensicsyouths are returned to school, taken home, or taken to local police departments
where the parent or guardian is contacted.
When addressing the problems of truancy and delinquency, the responsibility lies
with parents; school officials; law enforcement personnel; and local, state, and federal
organizations. This makes truancy and adolescent crime a multifaceted problem.
Thus, it is essential to have the cooperation and support from all participants in
order to successfully combat the problem.
In 1983, the Phoenix Arizona Police Department created a School Resource
Officer (SRO) program in an attempt to reduce the number of truant children and
juvenile delinquents. The program was funded through a 3-year federal grant. By
the end of the grant period, the truancy rate at two pilot schools decreased by 73%
and crimes committed on campus and in surrounding neighborhoods significantly
decreased (Soto & Miller, 1992). As a result of the success, the school district agreed
to continue to fund the project by paying 75% of each School Resource Officer's
salary. At present, the SRO program has been expanded to include the servicing of
36 schools throughout the Phoenix area.
The officers' involved with the SRO program volunteer their time. Before be-
ing able to participate in the program, they must complete an extensive application
process and pass a review procedure. Upon their acceptance, they receive intense
training and education regarding juvenile issues. The SRO officers deal with prob-
lems both on and off school grounds. Their responsibilities include educating fac-
ulty and students on safety strategies to reduce crime and to recognize signs of child
abuse and neglect. The officers spend a great deal of time and energy attempting
to establish a good working relationship with parents living in housing projects in
nearby areas. This is done in an effort to educate the parents on the importance
of monitoring their child's school habits and to encourage their children to stay in
school. The SRO unit is also responsible for detecting, reporting, and investigating
suspected cases of child abuse and neglect.
The SRO team initiated 23,015 contacts with students, parents, school admin-
istrators, and faculty members during the 1990—1991 academic year. Officers made
476 arrests on school grounds, referred 596 cases to other social service agencies,
recovered $ 14,000 in stolen property, and filed 578 truancy reports for students in
kindergarten through 8th grade (Soto & Miller, 1992).
The goal and objective of the SRO program is to enforce truancy laws, educate
school officials, and to build a trusting, working relationship with parents and
children. These objectives are intended to serve as an effective crime prevention
strategy in the hopes of combating criminal activity before it begins.
Researchers have concluded that for the purpose of predicting future criminality,
the most likely juvenile recidivists are those whose first referral involves truancy,
burglary, motor vehicle theft, or robbery (Snider, as cited in Gavin, 1997). Various
law enforcement agencies across the country have developed truancy interdiction
programs to counter both short-term and long-term effects of truancy Nation-
wide, the vast majority of truancy interdiction efforts produce significant reduction