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Use of Paraprofessionals in Missing Children and Juvenile Runaway Follow-Up Investigations (From Missing Children: The Law Enforcement Response, P 173-180, 1990, Martin L Forst, ed. -- See NCJ-125579)

NCJ Number
125589
Author(s)
R B Wedlund
Date Published
1990
Length
8 pages
Annotation
The use of community service officers (CSO's) for runaway investigations instead of sworn police investigators has had a positive effect on juvenile operations of the Seattle Police Department.
Abstract
The Seattle Police Department experienced a significant change in its procedures for handling juvenile runaways with the passage of the Juvenile Justice Act in 1974. In addition, the Washington State legislature established a Missing Children Clearinghouse to respond to situations where juveniles are not runaways. The clearinghouse maintains and operates a 24-hour, toll-free hotline for missing children. It distributes information to local law enforcement agencies, school districts, the State Department of Social and Health Services, and the general public regarding missing children. The CSO Unit has been part of the police department since 1972. Its purpose is to provide emergency and nonlaw enforcement services to the community and to relieve sworn police personnel of tasks that do not require law enforcement power or police legal authority. Some of the services provided by CSO's include emergency services, civil dispute and conflict management, traffic and hazard services, crime prevention and community organization, and report writing. The Seattle Police Department receives between 2,500 and 3,000 reported runaway cases yearly. As cases are received, they are distributed evenly among CSO's. Once a case has been assigned, the CSO must follow any leads and make regular contact with the person who filed the original report. If the CSO locates a runaway, a police officer is called to make the official pickup. The CSO Unit uses a microcomputer system to manage juvenile records.