Because of San Francisco's small per capita youth population, some have used statistics based on the city's total population to suggest that police arrest and detain comparatively few juveniles. Based on youth population figures for the eight highest juvenile crime counties, this analysis shows the opposite to be true. San Francisco ranks second highest among the eight counties in the number of juvenile arrests per 1,000 youth population, double the rate of Los Angeles and Alameda. Once a juvenile is arrested, juvenile probation authorities may choose to detain him/her in secure custody or use other arrangements to ensure that court appearances are kept and that no more delinquent acts are committed. Of the eight counties, San Francisco has the highest rate of secure detention (70 percent of those arrested). San Francisco has one police officer for every 18 children (three times the rate of Los Angeles) but only one school counselor for every 500 high school students. The facts show that high arrest and detention rates do not prevent juvenile crime. Given the fact that most youth involved in the criminal justice system come from poor families and are in need of a broad range of services, San Francisco's focus on detention as the primary mode of intervention must be reconsidered. Recommendations are offered for improving the services provided to juveniles, particularly high-risk juveniles, by the police and the community. 22 references