Unit 7.1 Discussion: Discretion with Juveniles

 What if you are a police officer who has been assigned to patrol a crime-ridden part of your town?  The area is well known to have a tremendous amount of gang and other youth violence.  You come across a juvenile who is out well past his curfew, smoking marijuana.  In exercising your discretionary decision making, what factors will you consider in deciding what to do with the juvenile?  What will you do with the juvenile?  How would your answer change if you had just had contact with the same juvenile under similar circumstances the night before?