The Structure of the Juvenile Police from the Perspective of Good Governance in Iran

Abstract

Today, most scholars in the field of children and adolescents agree that the involvement of adult police officers in the judicial process of this specific age group not only fails to assist the justice system but also produces adverse long-term effects on the children’s future. Accordingly, in many countries, in order to deal wisely with children and adolescents, a specialized institution known as the Juvenile Police has been established to perform various duties. However, in Iran, this specialized body has been neglected because such a police organization has not yet been formed. The Juvenile Police, as one of the specialized institutions within the juvenile justice system, was first proposed in Iran in the Bill on the Procedure for Handling Juvenile Offenses (2004) and later implicitly emphasized in the Fifth Five-Year Development Plan. Nevertheless, due to the non-ratification of the bill and the lack of implementation of the development plan, the legislator included the establishment of a specialized Juvenile Police in Article 31 of the Criminal Procedure Code (2013), thereby obligating the Police Organization to form such a unit. Therefore, the establishment of a specialized police force for children and adolescents can contribute to improvin

Today, most scholars in the field of children and adolescents agree that the involvement of adult police officers in the judicial process of this specific age group not only fails to assist the justice system but also produces adverse long-term effects on the children’s future. Accordingly, in many countries, in order to deal wisely with children and adolescents, a specialized institution known as the Juvenile Police has been established to perform various duties. However, in Iran, this specialized body has been neglected because such a police organization has not yet been formed. The Juvenile Police, as one of the specialized institutions within the juvenile justice system, was first proposed in Iran in the Bill on the Procedure for Handling Juvenile Offenses (2004) and later implicitly emphasized in the Fifth Five-Year Development Plan. Nevertheless, due to the non-ratification of the bill and the lack of implementation of the development plan, the legislator included the establishment of a specialized Juvenile Police in Article 31 of the Criminal Procedure Code (2013), thereby obligating the Police Organization to form such a unit. Therefore, the establishment of a specialized police force for children and adolescents can contribute to improving the performance of the Police Organization and the criminal justice system concerning minors. Good governance, by creating conditions such as political stability, active and constructive political participation, corruption control, and increased institutional accountability, can strengthen the foundational structure and legitimacy of such a specialized police force. It should be noted that the wide range of functions expected from police organizations—such as the development of various specializations within the police, the ambiguity surrounding the provision of multiple policing services, the growth of direct cross-border police cooperation, and the adoption of strategic and managerial approaches by governmental and non-governmental organizations—has made reform and specialization within policing inevitable. Findings of the present study indicate that the establishment of a Juvenile Police, without taking into account the particular needs and requirements of this age group and without utilizing specific and dedicated mechanisms, would not be effective and would ultimately lead to bureaucratic inflation and reduced organizational agility within the police structure.

g the performance of the Police Organization and the criminal justice system concerning minors. Good governance, by creating conditions such as political stability, active and constructive political participation, corruption control, and increased institutional accountability, can strengthen the foundational structure and legitimacy of such a specialized police force. It should be noted that the wide range of functions expected from police organizations—such as the development of various specializations within the police, the ambiguity surrounding the provision of multiple policing services, the growth of direct cross-border police cooperation, and the adoption of strategic and managerial approaches by governmental and non-governmental organizations—has made reform and specialization within policing inevitable. Findings of the present study indicate that the establishment of a Juvenile Police, without taking into account the particular needs and requirements of this age group and without utilizing specific and dedicated mechanisms, would not be effective and would ultimately lead to bureaucratic inflation and reduced organizational agility within the police structure.