Officers with the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) and other law enforcement agencies in Arizona are now participating in a multi-disciplinary, two-day training program designed to help law enforcement personnel better identify and rescue missing, at-risk and exploited children.
Officers trained through the program, which is called “Interdiction for the Protection of Children”, have already been having marked success in Arizona in their ability to identify victimized children as well as potential suspects who may be a high-risk threat to children.
Since the first training was offered to Arizona law enforcement personnel in July of 2014, officers with DPS have rescued eleven children including victims of kidnapping or sexual exploitation such as child sex trafficking.
One such case that originated with a DPS traffic stop by a newly trained officer resulted in the identification of two juveniles who were recruited by an adult female and forced into prostitution through physical violence.
Numerous other leads have been identified by newly trained officers in Arizona that have result- ed in comprehensive, ongoing investigations.
A key element of the training program provides officers with techniques that allow them to immediately assess the safety and well being of the children they encounter during the course of their duties, especially during basic police contacts such as traffic stops.
The training is important because predators typically strike fear into the minds of their juvenile victims by telling them the police will not help them. Trained officers can better identify groomed juvenile victims immediately, and quickly collect vital information and/or implement a rescue before releasing possible victims or offenders from a police contact.
Once possible victims or offenders are released from a traffic stop or police contact, the possibility of rescue diminishes significantly and can reinforce the notion predators tell victims that the police will not help them.
The “Interdiction for the Protection of Children” training program was developed by the Texas Department of Public Safety. The first program offered in Arizona was hosted by DPS in July of 2014 and was attended by 217 individuals representing six law enforcement agencies.
DPS and the Arizona Human Trafficking Council hosted two additional trainings later in the year that were attended by a total of 346 individuals representing numerous law enforcement and/or criminal justice agencies.
Additional offerings of the “Interdiction for the Protection of Children” training program will be held for law enforcement personnel throughout Arizona in the future.