In Brief:
- Young people think and act differently than adults. They may be more easily intimidated by officers and not know their rights or how processes work. And experts say youth who seem like they’re deliberately defying officers may really just be scared, confused or dealing with a disability.
- The Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission released a first draft of what will eventually become new regulations governing how officers interact with youth.
- A national policy and training organization focused on youth-police interactions praised the draft, while recommending revising it to cover more scenarios. A police chiefs organization said the draft has worthy goals but oversteps, and that parts are confusing or tricky to implement.
Massachusetts is taking a new look at how police officers should treat minors.
In 2020, the commonwealth created an independent agency charged, in part, with creating minimum certification standards for law enforcement agencies. One element of those standards is how law enforcement should interact with juveniles. In late June 2025, the entity — the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission (POST Commission) — released a first look at its thinking on this topic.
The draft standards were met with acclaim from Strategies for Youth, a national policy and training organization that focuses on youth-law enforcement interactions…