Commissioner Frank Bischof established the Juvenile Aid Bureau on May 14, 1963. The initiative was modelled on the British Juvenile Liaison Scheme, where officers worked to combat delinquency with problem children aged 5 – 15 years. Initial JAB staff consisted of two officers: Detective Terence Lewis and Policewoman Yvonne Weier.
In the early days JAB officers worked only with children who “showed a tendency towards delinquency”. They were not involved with children who had been charged or convicted. The acceptance and full co-operation of parents was also a requirement. The officers would visit juveniles in their own homes, discuss their problems and encourage an interest in hobbies and sports.
At the end of its first year, the Bureau had four assigned officers. Its aims were prevention and rehabilitation of problem juveniles through support from community organisations. Assistance with special problems was sought from organisations such as the Queensland University’s Psychology Department, The Welfare and Guidance Clinic, and the Commonwealth Employment Service. The JAB dealt with matters of petty thieving, shoplifting, vandalism, truancy, uncontrollable behaviour at home and sexual promiscuity. Principals, parents, clergy, solicitors and other police referred juveniles to the Bureau. By March 1969 the JAB had dealt with 3000 cases involving children up to 17 years of age.
The 1970s saw a rise in the number of ‘latch-key’ children, single parent families, and children experimenting with drugs. In 1972 JAB members were instructed to spend less time on follow-up counselling and more on patrolling discos, parks and billiard halls. The emphasis was now on active crime prevention. During the 1980s the JAB continued to expand. Officers investigated offences committed not only ‘by’ children but ‘on’ children. As a result specialist units dealing with child abuse, sexual exploitation and missing persons were developed. The introduction of the Juvenile Justice Act 1992 resulted in declining arrests and proportionally more juveniles were dealt with by way of a Court Attendance Notice, and cautioning.
From 1 July 2006 the title of the JAB was changed to the Child Protection and Investigation Unit. The CPIU is unique in Australia and is staffed by highly trained, skilled and professional investigators. It provides a specialist policing response to children, both as victims and offenders.
This information has been supplied by the Queensland Police Museum from the best resources available at the time of writing.
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