2018 Child Endangerment Report

• Special Enforcement Periods: Throughout the year, federal, state and local law enforcement agencies conduct coordinated joint high-visibility enforcement programs focusing on DUI/DWI, seat belt use and other traffic enforcement issues. These enforcement efforts generally include a public awareness and media campaign. Programs that focus on DUI/DWI and occupant protection should include special emphasis on DUI/DWI child endangerment and enforcement of child restraint laws. • Governor’s Highway Safety Programs: The Governor’s Highway Safety Offices and Offices of Traffic Safety should fund training programs to address the problem of child endangerment. • Briefings from Family Services or Child Protective Service Agencies: While infrequent, these briefings may be periodically required as changes in the laws that focus on family law issues come to the attention of the law enforcement community. These briefings should be used to provide cross training between law enforcement and child protective services agencies. • Bulletins and Training Materials: These materials, which are often distributed to law enforcement officers by federal, state or local agencies that are responsible for or involved in peace officer training, should include materials related to child endangerment issues. • Changes to Arrest/Citation/Reporting Forms: Arrest or citation forms should provide a place for the arresting officer to insert the appropriate information concerning ages of children in the vehicle following a DUI/DWI arrest or an offense concerning violation of child restraint laws. This would serve to emphasize and remind the arresting officer that this may be an issue in the prosecution of the case. The form should contain sufficient information that will be provided to child protective service agencies to enable them to conduct an investigation of possible child abuse. • Enhanced Enforcement Efforts: Law enforcement should conduct regular enhanced enforcement efforts for impaired driving and passenger restraint laws. As part of these enhanced enforcement efforts, law enforcement should be trained on the importance of and method for detecting and charging drivers who drink and drive with minor children in their vehicle and/or who violate child restraint laws. Training for Prosecutors, Judges, and Attorneys Child endangerment issues should be an ongoing component of all training programs for prosecutors, judges and attorneys. This could be accomplished in the following manner: • Presentations at judicial conferences and state judicial meetings, • Development of a child endangerment tool kit including video presentation, • Development of Continuing Legal Education (CLE) materials including videos,

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