The U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention has concluded that police responsibilities for juveniles include removing juveniles from school, detention at a youth home, interacting with the parents or guardians, and taking the juvenile into custody. Duties also include all booking and record keeping responsibilities, investigations, and handling abused and neglected children. Clear policy guidelines are necessary to reduce confusion and offer an effective response to juvenile-related matters within a police agency. Police responsibilities regarding juveniles have increased in scope in recent years; police agencies have had to rely on dispositions other than formal arrest in handling juveniles. The formulation of a police juvenile policy should be developed in cooperation with the juvenile court and other juvenile justice agencies and should clarify the use of discretion in police disposition of juvenile cases. This article outlines the scope and content of juvenile polices as recommended by the National Advisory Commission on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals. Examples of Texas police juvenile policies cover goal statements, dispositions, rights of the juvenile, interrogations and confessions, and guidelines for offense dispositions. 3 references