ABSTRACT
In the 1830s, as full-time law enforcement agencies were created in the United States, the agencies emerged as a coercive force to keep delinquents in line. While the agencies have the power to arrest, informal social control methods have traditionally been preferred when dealing with juveniles. In the first part of the 20th century, the law enforcement agencies started focusing on preventing delinquency rather than on arresting juveniles. Often, women were hired to work with delinquents and runaways. These law enforcement women patrolled the amusement parks and other places where the juveniles congregated. These officers were tasked with the duty of dissuading youths from engaging in criminal or other delinquent activities.
