CHANGES IN AMERICAN SOCIETY HAVE NECESSITATED MANY INNOVATIONS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT. THIS IS PARTICULARLY TRUE IN THE FIELD OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY, WHERE RECENT SUPREME COURT DECISIONS HAVE ALTERED POLICE OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES AND PLACED NEW RESTRICTIONS ON THE POLICE ROLE WITH CHILDREN. THIS BOOK, A WORKING TEXT ON THE POLICE ROLE IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM, IS A DIRECT RESULT OF A RESEARCH PROJECT UNDERTAKEN BY THE THE IACP TO BRING POLICE-JUVENILE OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES INTO CONTEMPORARY PERSPECTIVE. IN ADDITION TO THE FORMULATION OF POLICY GUIDELINES, THIS WORK EXPLORES THE NATURE AND EXTENT OF THE DELINQUENCY PROBLEM IN RELATION TO OTHER SOCIETAL PROBLEMS, WITH PERTINENT MEASUREMENTS OF THE SCOPE OF DELINQUENCY. AS A RESULT OF AN EXTENSIVE SURVEY OF CONTEMPORARY POLICE-JUVENILE OPERATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY IN CONJUNCTION WITH A SERIES OF REGIONAL WORKSHOPS, THE PRESENT 'STATE OF THE ART' IS REVIEWED. THE PRINCIPLES AND PROCESSES OF POLICE AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY ARE ALSO PRESENTED ALONG WITH LEGAL DIRECTIVES AND CONSIDERATIONS OF THE JUVENILE INTAKE AND DETENTION PROCESS. FOR PURPOSES OF HISTORICAL REFERENCE, A CHRONOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE NATIONWIDE POLICE RESPONSE TO JUVENILE PROBLEMS OVER THE PAST CENTURY IS INCLUDED. OVERALL ADMINISTRATIVE AND ORGANIZATIONAL CONCEPTS ARE PROPOSED IN CONJUNCTION WITH SUGGESTIONS OF THE POLICE-JUVENILE UNIT. THE FUTURE ROLE OF THE POLICE IN DEALING WITH THE PROBLEMS OF DELINQUENCY AND PRESENT POLICE PROGRAMS IN JUVENILE COMMUNITY RELATIONS ARE OFFERED AS ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES FOR OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATION. AN APPENDIX CONTAINS SUGGESTED CURRICULUM FOR POLICE TRAINING IN JUVENILE MATTERS AND AN EXTENSIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY IS PROVIDED. (PUBLISHER ABSTRACT MODIFIED). (SNI ABSTRACT)