NCJ Number
247812
Date Published
August 2014
Length
38 pages
Annotation
This publication provides information to law enforcement on how to safeguard children of arrested parents.
Abstract
This publication, produced by the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the Bureau of Justice Assistance, provides information for law enforcement personnel on how to safeguard the children of arrested parents. The document contains a set of protocols for law enforcement to use to help address the needs of children at the time of, and just following their parent's arrest. The protocols presented in this report are designed to both ensure the well-being of children while at the same time maintaining the integrity of the arrest and the safety of the arresting officer. The guiding principle of the model presented in this report is that officers will be trained to identify and respond effectively to a child, present or not, whose parent is arrested in order to help minimize potential trauma to the child and support the child's physical safety and well-being following an arrest. As noted in the report, safeguarding the well-being of children whose parents have been arrested is the shared responsibility of a number of partner organizations, and these children should not be placed in the custody of law enforcement or child welfare services but instead they should be placed in the temporary custody of a caregiver or family friend. The model addresses the following steps for safeguarding the well-being of these children: development of a department policy, interagency coordination and training, pre-arrest planning, making an arrest, appropriate placement of a child, booking, follow-up visits, and documentation.