Benefit of Law Enforcement Liaisons. It is understood that law enforcement officials have access to confidential information that may document that a juvenile offender has previously committed acts of delinquency outside of school grounds and about which school officials may therefore be unaware. These confidential law enforcement records may concern prior juvenile arrests, adjudications, dispositions, referrals to juvenile conference committees and station house adjustments. For this reason, the failure by school officials to refer a suspected offense to law enforcement authorities may unwittingly prevent the professional actors within the juvenile justice system, including law enforcement and family court officials, from identifying and dealing appropriately with juvenile offenders, and may thus prevent these actors from taking the steps that are necessary and appropriate to intervene, to address the juvenile's problems in a timely fashion and to protect the public safety. In order to enable school officials to make a more informed decision regarding whether to refer a suspected act of delinquency to law enforcement authorities, the parties to this Agreement understand the need for, and benefit of, establishing procedures by which law enforcement officials can explain the workings of the juvenile justice system and the options, services and resources that are available through that system to respond to juveniles' needs. It is expected that such ongoing dialogue will enable school officials to understand the likely consequences of a report involving a given offense. It also is hoped that in this way, law enforcement and school officials can work to dispel many of the myths about the juvenile justice system, and to develop a better understanding of the resources available to address the needs of juveniles who enter into this system or who are at risk of entering the system. The (designated law enforcement official) and the county prosecutor must be available on an ongoing basis to explain to school officials the practices and procedures of the juvenile justice system with respect to the handling of juveniles suspected of, or formally charged with, acts of delinquency. The (designated law enforcement official) and the county prosecutor also must provide, on an ongoing basis, information concerning the services and resources available through the New Jersey Juvenile Justice System to deal with delinquent or at-risk youth and families in crisis, including stationhouse adjustments, referrals to F...
Benefit of Law Enforcement Liaisons. It is understood that law enforcement officials have access to confidential information that may document that a juvenile offender has previously committed acts of delinquency outside of school grounds and about which school officials may therefore be unaware It is further understood that school officials may have legitimate concerns about the legal and mental health implications of referring a student to law enforcement. The (designated law enforcement official) and the county prosecutor must be available on an ongoing basis to explain to school officials the practices and procedures of the juvenile justice system with respect to the handling of juveniles suspected of, or formally charged with, acts of delinquency. The (designated law enforcement official) and the county prosecutor also must provide, on an ongoing basis, information concerning the services and resources available through the New Jersey Juvenile Justice System to deal with delinquent or at- risk youth and families in crisis, including stationhouse adjustments, referrals to Family Crisis Intervention Units, other pre-adjudication diversion programs, intervention services, and post- adjudication disposition options that are available in the county.
