In 1929, Police Commissioner Grover A. Whalen appointed a committee on crime prevention to address growing concerns about juvenile delinquency. The Police Department began to focus on youth and took a leadership role in providing recreation. In 1931, Mayor James J Walker signed a bill to make the Crime Prevention Bureau, later known as the Juvenile Justice Aid Bureau, a permanent part of the Police Department.

The 1932 Annual report of the Police Department stated, "During a Depression, it is the children who stand in the greatest danger of permanent injury." In response, the Crime Prevention Bureau formed the Junior Police Athletic League.