A STEADILY INCREASING INCIDENCE OF JUVENILE CRIMES AND DELINQUENT ACTS LED TO THE APPOINTMENT OF A JUVENILE OFFICER ON MAY 1, 1976. OBJECTIVES OF THE JUVENILE OFFICER WERE TO DETER JUVENILE OFFENSES THROUGH COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF PREVENTION-ORIENTED ACTIVITIES. CONSIDERABLE VARIATION IN THE NUMBER OF YOUTHS CONTACTED BY THE OFFICER, RECEIVING ATTENTION FROM THE OFFICER, AND INVOLVED IN CRIMINAL/DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR WAS FOUND FOR THE THREE QUARTERLY PERIODS FROM JULY THRUGH MARCH. MOST OFFENSES CONSISTED OF BURGLARY, LIQUOR VIOLATIONS, VANDALISM, AND LARCENY. THE MAJORITY OF OFFENDERS DURING THE TIME UNDER CONSIDERATION WERE EITHER REFERRED TO THE JUVENILE COURT BY THE OFFICER AND PUT ON PROBATION OR HANDLED WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT AND SUBSEQUENTLY RELEASED. VERY FEW CASES WERE REFERRED TO SOCIAL SERVICE, MENTAL HEALTH, OR WELFARE AGENCIES DURING THIS TIME. THIS WAS PARTICULARLY TRUE OF THE FIRST QUARTER, ALTHOUGH BY THE SECOND AND THIRD QUARTERS SOME PROGRESS IN ESTABLISHIING INTERAGENCY CONTACTS HAD BEEN MADE. SELF-REPORTED DATA INDICATE THAT MOST OF THE JUVENILE OFFICER'S TIME WAS SPENT ON INVESTIGATING JUVENILE CASES, WHICH RELATIVELY LITTLE TIME WAS DEVOTED TO COUNSELING, COMMUNITY CONTACT, PATROLLING, OR INTERAGENCY CONTACT. DATA SUBMITTED BY THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE FAILED TO SHOW ANY SUBSTANTIVE REDUCTION IN THE INCIDENCE OF JUVENILE CRIME. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THIS MAY BE DUE TO THE PROGRAM'S RELATIVE NEWNESS AND THE CONSEQUENT NEED FOR EXPERIMENTATION WITH VARYING APPROACHES. THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE HAS EXPRESSED SATISFACTION WITH THE WORK OF THE JUVENILE OFFICER. ADDITIONAL TIME AND DATA COLLECTION SHOULD PERMIT A MORE COMPREHENSIVE AND DEFINITIVE EVALUATION TO BE PERFORMED AT THE END OF THE PROGRAM'S SECOND YEAR. DATA COLLECTION FORMS USED FOR THE EVALUATION ARE REPRODUCED. (JAP)