Institute of Child Advocacy Presents:

1
Child Abuse Prevention and Permanency Advisory
Council Law Enforcement Cooperative Planning
Outline

• Cooperative Planning Team
• Jim Kallinger, EOG (Chairman)
• Barbara Foster, EOG
• Connie Shingledecker, MCSO
• Ed Hardy, DCF
• Elizabeth Schlein, DCF
• Emily Sanfratella, EOG
• Johana Hatcher, DCF
• Mike Haney, DOH
• Mike McCaffrey, DJJ
• Nancy Crawford, KHoS (CAC)
• Peggy Scheuermann, DOH
• Terry Thomas, FDLE

• Planning Committee
• Terry Thomas, FDLE
• Peggy Scheuermann, DOH
• Johana Hatcher, DCF
• Connie Shingledecker, MCSO

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Law Enforcement Cooperative PlanningPRE-SERVICE
TRAINING Current Status

• Current Pre-Service Training Requirements
• Police Academies are required to provide 770
  hours (19 Weeks) of classroom instruction
• Law Enforcement personnel receive an additional
  14-16 weeks of Field Officer Training (FTO)
• Four hours of child abuse instruction are
  required (See Module 8 of the Standards
  Training Guide for content.)
• Methods of Instruction
• Certified Instructors (80 hours of training)
  teach at the Academy

3
Law Enforcement Cooperative PlanningPRE-SERVICE
TRAININGDeterminations Recommendations

• More training would be the preferred
  recommendation. However, due to budget
  constraints and the fact that law enforcement
  officers get the bulk of specialized training
  from post-academy courses, the Law Enforcement
  Cooperative Planning Team does not recommend
  additional training at this time.
• Recommendation Within the existing training,
  ensure the following
• three topics are covered
• The Role of the Department of Children Families
• Protective Investigations
• Dependency vs. Criminal Investigations and the
  differences in the standards of proof
• Child Abuse Hotline
• What should be reported/What should not be
  reported
• What information should be provided when
  reporting
• How to report
• The Role of the Department of Health
• Child Protection Teams

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Law Enforcement Cooperative PlanningPOST ACADEMY
INSERVICE TRAININGCurrent Status

• Inservice/ Continuing Education Requirements
• Mandated course on child abuse and the
  juvenile sex offender every four years to
  maintain law enforcement certification
• Currently there are no specific course outline
  or number of hours required
• Of Note
• Currently in development An on-line Web-based
  child abuse course with specific core material
  and post test (according to FDLE Professional
  Standards Training staff). Plans call for this
  course to be required of all law enforcement
  personnel.

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Law Enforcement Cooperative PlanningPOST ACADEMY
INSERVICE TRAINING Recommendations

• Training Location Continue to provide localized
  training through the existing Regional Law
  Enforcement Academies.
• Training Providers
• Utilize local certified instructors from the Law
  Enforcement Community/ Department of Children and
  Families/ Department of Health/Child Protection
  Teams/Florida Alliance for Drug Endangered
  Children.
• Training Content
• Continue to develop job-specific training for
  the various types of law enforcement to meet
  their individual needs (e.g., Florida Highway
  Patrol, Fish Game, Department of
  Transportation, etc. will need more basic
  information while those who work in family
  settings will need more in-depth information and
  skill-building.).
• Specific training for drug cops and the
  judiciary that respond to drug busts where
  children are present (e.g., Meth house, etc.
  related to the risks to children how to request
  information related to children in the household
  advanced planning to ensure child safety when to
  call the hotline, or remove, etc.).

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Law Enforcement Cooperative PlanningPOST ACADEMY
INSERVICE TRAINING Recommendations

• Cross-Training
• Stress and prepare law enforcement for joint
  investigations with Department of Children and
  Families workers (e.g., protective
  investigators)
• Detectives/Investigators have access to more
  in-depth specialized training that is readily
  available
• Homicide and Crimes Against Children
  Detectives/Investigators should cross train and
  work cases jointly
• Law Enforcement and the Department of
  Children and Families should continue to work
  toward co-locating and working child abuse cases
  jointly
• Encourage local law enforcement to designate
  and train Detectives/Investigators to work crimes
  against children investigations
• Cross-Training from a different perspective
• The Department of Children and Families
  should train its child welfare workers on the
  role of law enforcement, the issues related to
  Dependency vs. Criminal Investigations and the
  differences in the standards of proof

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Law Enforcement Cooperative PlanningPOST ACADEMY
INSERVICE TRAINING Additional Recommendations

• Cross-Training (continued and from a different
  perspective)
• The Department of Children and Families
  should train its child welfare workers on the
  role of law enforcement, the issues related to
  Dependency vs. Criminal Investigations and the
  differences in the standards of proof
• Other Issues
• The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is
  in the process of developing a Web-based course.
  The Council could request that it play a role in
  reviewing and providing input into the course
  development (e.g., objectives, instructional
  strategies, content, etc.)
• There are a wide array of courses available
  for no- or low-cost. Would it be of benefit to
  catalog and evaluate these for the purpose of
  encouraging local law enforcement to use those
  that would be of benefit?