SEVERAL FACTORS--JUVENILE CRIME, THE BELIEF THAT YOUTHS ARE A COMMUNITY'S MOST IMPORTANT LEGACY, THE DESIRE TO PREVENT YOUTHS FROM TURNING TO A LIFE OF CRIME, REALIZATION OF THE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH ADOLESCENCE--ARE LIKELY TO INCREASE DEMAND FOR SPECIAL POLICE YOUTH OFFICERS AND BUREAUS. BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THEIR WORK, THESE BUREAUS ARE LIKELY TO BE SEPARATE FROM DETECTIVE BUREAUS. YOUTH BUREAUS WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH JUVENILES' PERSONAL AND SOCIAL CONCERNS AS WELL AS THEIR ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR, AND INCREASING EMPHASIS WILL BE PLACED ON THE GUIDANCE CONCEPT IN POLICE YOUTH WORK. YOUTH OFFICERS WILL BE CHOSEN ON THE BASIS OF THEIR DESIRE TO WORK WITH YOUTH AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS THAT QUALIFY THEM FOR SUCH WORK. SPECIAL SELECTION CRITERIA WILL INCLUDE ACADEMIC BACKGROUND, RECOMMENDATIONS FROM PEOPLE IN THE HELPING PROFESSIONS, PERSONAL INTERVIEWS, PERSONALITY TEST SCORES, AND PROBATIONARY PERFORMANCE. YOUTH OFFICERS WILL BE ENCOURAGED TO PURSUE ADVANCED DEGREES IN THE BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES, AND SPECIAL CERTIFICATION MAY BE REQUIRED FOR OFFICERS WHO ENGAGE IN YOUTH WORK. INCREASING NUMBERS OF WOMEN AND PART-TIME ASSISTANTS WILL STAFF YOUTH BUREAUS, AND THE POSITION OF YOUTH OFFICER WILL BECOME A FULL-TIME CAREER SPECIALTY. YOUTH BUREAU ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION WILL BECOME INCREASINGLY EFFICIENT AND PROFESSIONAL, AND DATA COLLECTION TECHNIQUES MORE SOPHISTICATED. NEW RECORDKEEPING POLICIES AND SYSTEMS WILL EMERGE. OTHER TRENDS INCLUDE GROWING DEPENDENCE ON COMMUNITY INSTITUTIONS FOR SUPPORT, TEMPORARY ASSIGNMENT OF ALL OFFICERS TO YOUTH BUREAUS AS PART OF THEIR TRAINING, GROWING RECOGNITION OF EXTERNAL INFLUENCES ON THE ROLE OF THE YOUTH OFFICER, ASSUMPTION BY YOUTH OFFICERS OF INITIATIVE AND LEADERSHIP IN DETERMINING THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES, AND REEVALUATION OF THE PHYSCIAL ENVIRONMENT OF YOUTH BUREAUS (FURNISHINGS, COLORS, ETC.). (LKM)