Policy Text
General Order III -06
Revisions or additions are highlighted 1 (08/16/2024 ) ST. PETERSBURG POLICE DEPARTMENT
GENERAL ORDER
Subject: JUVENILE PROCEDURES
Index as: Abandoned Child Forcible Felony
Baker Act Interviewing Children
Child JAC
Child in Need of Services JARF
Child Protection Investigations Juvenile
Children Juvenile Addition Receiving Facility (JARF)
Civil Citation, Juvenile Juvenile Assessment Center (JAC)
Delinquency Juvenile Interrogation
Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) Juvenile Second Chance Program
Dependent Child Juvenile Second Chance Program Specialist
Detention -Risk Assessment Instrument (DRAI) Runaways
Diversion Second Chance Program , Juvenile
DJJ Truants
DRAI Unidentified Child
Family in Need of Services (FINS) VIPAR
FINS Virtual Inmate Processing and Reporting System (VIPAR)
Accreditation Standards: 1.1.3, 1.2.3, 1.2.6, 1.2.7, 44.1.1 , 44.1.2; 44.1.3, 44.2.1, 44.2.2, 44.2.3 , 70.2.1 and CFA 21.01
Cross Reference: I.O. V3:02, Child Abuse and Neglect Investigations
I.O. V.5:24, Missing Persons, Runaways, and Blue Alert
§§ 776.08, 790.22(8), 985.101[3], 985.115[1] & [2], F lorida Statutes
Allen v. State, 636 So.2d 494
Dowst v. State 336 So. 2d 375
Replaces : G.O. III-06, Juvenile Procedures (October 25, 2023 )
The purpose of this Order is to assure proper processing of all juveniles who come to the attention of the Police Department.
It consists of the following sections:
I. Policy
II. Definitions
III. Officer Responsibilities with Juvenile Offenders
IV. Taking a Juvenile into Custody
V. Release of Juveniles
VI. Fingerprinting and Photographing
VII. Ungovernable Child
VIII. Interviewing Children
IX. Juvenile S econd Chance Program
X. Countywide Juvenile Diversion Program
XI. Resources
DATE OF
ISSUE EFFECTIVE DATE NUMBER
April 2016 Immediately III-06
Distribution: All Employees
General Order III -06
Revisions or additions are highlighted 2 (08/16/2024 ) I. POLICY
A. The St. Petersburg Police Department recognizes the detrimental effect juvenile crime has on the community and
the future of young offenders. The Department is committed to ensuring the safety of the citizens of St. Petersburg
by apprehending juveniles who commit offenses, assisting young people and families in need of services, and
participating in d elinquency prevention programs. Each employee and every component of the Department is
responsible for supporting and participating in this agency’s juvenile operations and programs.
B. The Department encourages review and comment by other elements of the ju venile justice system in the
development of policies and procedures relating to juveniles.
C. When dealing with a juvenile, employees of this Department will use the least coercive process while considering
alternatives to address both the immediate situatio n, as well as the long -term effects of their decision, so as to
preserve public safety and protect the health, welfare and constitutional rights of the young person.
D. Annual Review
1. The Department will conduct a documented annual review and evaluation of all juvenile enforcement and
prevention programs.
2. The review will be submitted to the Chief of Police for their review and approval.
II. DEFINITIONS
A. Abandoned Child – A child whose parent(s), legal guardian(s), custodian(s) or caregiver(s) make no effort to recover
the child who has run away or been deserted. The child will be considered a Dependent Child if encountered.
B. Child in Need of Services (CINS) – A child wh o has been ruled to be habitually truant from school, has persistently
disobeyed the lawful demands of the child’s parent(s), legal guardian(s) or custodian(s) or caregiver(s) and is
beyond their control despite efforts by the child’s parent(s), legal guar dian(s), or custodian(s) and appropriate
agencies to remedy the conditions contributing to the behavior.
C. Child/Juvenile – Any unmarried or married person under the age of 18 (eighteen) years unless they have been
emancipated by the court.
D. Child Protective Investigator (CPI) – An employee of the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) or an
employee of an agency contracted by the DCF to conduct the investigation of child abuse, abandonment or neglect.
E. Delinquent Child – A juvenile who commits a violation of the law.
F. Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) – Florida state agency responsible for all matters dealing with children who
are delinquent or adjudicated as CINS.
G. Dependent Child – A juvenile who:
1. Has been abandoned, abused or neglected by their parent(s), legal guardian(s), custodian(s) or caregiver(s);
2. Has no parent(s),