^aUniversity of Plymouth, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK

Correspondence: Adrian Barton, 20 Portland Villas, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK. E-mail: abarton@plymouth.ac.uk

Abstract

The Every Child Matters and Youth Matters legislation have continued the trend of mandating joint working and identifying agencies' responsibilities in dealing with social problems. For many agencies, this is relatively unproblematic and simply means a continuation of current working practices. However, for some it has meant forays into unfamiliar or previously difficult territory. This paper, which is based on some empirical findings, concentrates on how the Devon and Cornwall police have become involved in proactive interventions aimed at preventing youth crime while avoiding charges of net widening and mesh thinning.