unless you believe that a delay will result in the destruction of the evidence. The search may be
incidental to a lawful apprehension.
3.
Processing Juvenile Offenders.
a. In recent years, there has been a sharp increase in the amount of juvenile deviant behavior, to
include serious criminal acts. The problems of juvenile offenders are not confined to the civilian
community. The military community is also being faced with increasing numbers of juvenile incidents.
Delinquent acts by juveniles have many negative results. These range from destruction of property to
personal injury. An added problem is the effect on relations with the surrounding community.
b. Youthful offenders create special problems. This is due in large part to the unique
jurisdictional position of the military authorities. The MPs must understand the nature of the problems
created by juvenile offenders. There are differences in handling such offenders. A juvenile is a person
under the age of eighteen, who is not a service member, or the spouse of a service member. A juvenile
delinquent is a youth under the age of eighteen, who commits an act which would be a crime if it were
committed by an adult. He also becomes the object of official concern.
c. Military Jurisdiction. The UCMJ does not apply to either dependent or nondependent
juveniles. It does, however, apply to members of the military under 18 years of age. Post commanders
are delegated the responsibility for all aspects of post activities. They have been given the authority to
take necessary actions to ensure the protection of public and private property, and the welfare, morale,
and well-being of all persons under their control. The general authority placed upon the installation
commander by Army regulations is designed to meet local conditions. Thus, he may exercise police
power, in varying degrees, as necessary, over any person on the reservation. All incidents occurring on
the reservation, including those involving juveniles, have an effect upon command morale and safety.
The control and handling of such incidents is a major concern of his. MPs may be authorized to
investigate offenses committed on the installation regardless of who the suspect may be.
d. The installation commander publishes policies governing the conduct on-post of civilian and
dependent juveniles. He enforces them with sanctions. These may range from reprimand and exclusion
from the post, to termination of the sponsor's on-post quarters. In case of serious misbehavior, the
juvenile may be prosecuted by appropriate civilian authorities.
e. Juvenile records are stored away from adult records. They are documented differently. This
is to protect juveniles from the effects of immature actions on their later adult lives.
Juvenile records are secured in the juvenile officer's or PM's office. The MP desk blotter will not list the
juvenile's or their parent's names. The entry is shown as "Protected Identity" (PI).
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