Law Enforcement Officer as a Member of the Child Protection Team (From The New Child Protection Team Handbook, P 199-212, 1988, Donald C Bross, et al, eds. -- See NCJ-115142)

• NCJ Number: 115150
• Author(s): R Kean; E J Rodgers
• Date Published: 1988
• Length: 14 pages
• Sale Source: Garland Publishing, Inc.
• Publication Type: Training (Aid/Material)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This paper discusses the role of law enforcement in child protection and the application of the specialized skills that only law enforcement has to offer the abused child.

Abstract

Under the proposed law enforcement model for child abuse, the officer receives a report of a child who has suffered an injury of unknown origin. The officer responds and identifies the injuries in detail. The officer then determines exactly what type of actions could cause the injury. The officer establishes who had custody of the child at the time of the injury and interviews the child's custodian about the reported mechanism of injury. A comparison is made between the reported mechanism of injury and the known mechanism of injury. If they are inconsistent, child abuse is then presumed. In fulfilling this model, specific officer responsibilities include the documentation of observations, an interview with the examining physician, an interview with the injured child, and an investigation of the scene where the child was injured. Information should also be obtained from friends or neighbors, especially those who accompany a caretaker to a hospital. In the civil court process, the usefulness of the police officer is in the collection and preservation of evidence to support the case. This paper provides suggestions for testifying in court, and discusses special law enforcement problems in connection with child abuse cases. One section of the paper focuses on the role of the police officer in cases involving home movie child pornography and pedophiles.