Highlands Police Department Juvenile Officer.
The Highlands Police Department Juvenile Officer is comprised of one officer who overseas the everyday Juvenile issues within the Police Department. This Officer investigates Juvenile matters, which may need some additional time that is not sometimes afforded to other Officers due to the volume of calls for service that they must respond to. The Juvenile Officer attends meetings and training sessions conducted by the Monmouth County Prosecutors Office and is abreast of the latest and most important information provided on dealing with Juvenile issues.
There are several ways in dealing with Juvenile Offences within the Borough of Highlands. Below you will find the most common ways of dealing with a Juvenile who has committed an offense.
Curbside Adjustment:
This is when a Juvenile has committed a minor offense and most of the time there is no victim. In this instince the Officer may choose to use his or her discretion and speak with the Juvenile explaining why they should not commit that particular offense, and in some cases go and speak with the guardians of that Juvenile and make them aware of the incident.
Station House Adjustment
This is when a Juvenile has committed an offense that is not considered minor, but one that does not call for a formal Juvenile Delinquency Complaint being filed with the court. This may also be appropriate for a particular Juvenile who has been given a Curbside Adjustment several times by an Officer or Officers and fails to correct their behavior. In these cases the Juvenile may be obligated to perform community service or write a letter of apology to the person or persons who were affected by the offense in which they committed.
Juvenile Delinquency Complaint
This is when a Juvenile has committed and offense that is serious in nature and the charges brought against them must be submitted to the Monmouth County Prosecutors Office and in turn be presented to a Superior Court Judge. In this case the Juvenile is usually brought into police custody and then later released to a guardian because the seriousness of the offense does not call for the Juvenile to be placed into a correctional facility.
Detention:
This is when a Juvenile has committed an offense of a serious nature and that this Juvenile poses a threat to himself or the community and it is determined by the Monmouth County Prosecutors Office that this Juvenile be placed in a correctional facility.
The Highlands Police Department Juvenile Officer also participates in the Drug Abuse Resistance Education Program (D.A.R.E.) and many other programs within the community. The Juvenile Officer continues to have a great working relationship with both the Highlands Elementary School and Henry Hudson Regional School. In some instances during the year the Juvenile Officer may be called upon to meet with students and discus a current event, or events that have taken place in order to clarify any questions that the students may have of the police department or the police involvement in a given situation.
The Highlands Police Department Juvenile Officer works with all of the Officers within the department exchanging information and ideas that may be helpful in educating the Juveniles of Highlands. The Juvenile Officer is sometimes called upon by parents who are having a difficult time with their child. The parents may ask the Officer to speak to a child about
respecting their parents and or their behavior toward their parents.
There are many agencies as well as programs that are available to parents going through a difficult period with their child and sometimes it is not easy as a parent to ask for help. The Highlands Police Department Juvenile Officer along with all of the officers within the department are here to help in any way that we can.
Any questions please feel free to contact:
Detective Robert Burton,
Juvenile Officer
D.A.R.E. Instructor