Jennifer Chait (212) 788-8479
Maggie Lear (ACS) (212) 266-2255
MAYOR GIULIANI ANNOUNCES INSTANT RESPONSE TEAM PROGRAM TO TARGET MOST SERIOUS CHILD ABUSE CASES
Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani today announced an Instant Response Team (IRT) program that will coordinate the efforts of the Administration for Children's Services (ACS), New York City Police Department (NYPD) and the five District Attorneys, and provide for a rapid response by ACS and law enforcement officials in cases of severe physical and sexual abuse of children.
Joining the Mayor at today's press conference were Administration for Children's Services Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta, New York Police Department Commissioner Howard Safir, Manhattan District Attorney Robert M. Morgenthau, Bronx District Attorney Robert T. Johnson and Albert Teichman, Chief Assistant District Attorney with Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes.
"Today marks the beginning of an innovative and collaborative effort between ACS and law enforcement officials to protect children," Mayor Giuliani said. "It is another step forward in putting the welfare of children first. Instant Response Teams, made up of ACS caseworkers and police officers, will respond immediately to the most serious allegations of child abuse as determined by ACS supervisors and will also involve the District Attorneys' offices at the earliest possible stage. This protocol creates an effective, comprehensive response to the most serious cases of abuse against our City's children and is a cornerstone of the Reform Plan this administration released in December 1996."
Under the current system in cases of serious child abuse, ACS, the Police Department and the District Attorneys' offices often conduct separate, overlapping inquiries without close consultation. In many cases, the abused child may have to undergo multiple interviews in different locations, with information not shared in a timely manner.
The new Instant Response Team program will coordinate the involvement of these agencies from the very beginning, ensuring not only rapid response, but making sure the child is removed to the safe, caring atmosphere of a Child Advocacy Center or other facility where medical treatment, interviews and follow-up work can be accomplished by the team.
Commissioner Scoppetta said, "The Instant Response Team program will link ACS and law enforcement officials together and enable them to cut through the overlapping repetitive interviewing of children during investigations. The teams will have access to Child Advocacy Centers where children can be examined, treated and interviewed in a safe, caring environment. I want to thank everyone involved for making this important program a reality."
Commissioner Safir said, "The creation of Instant Response Teams will help our City's law enforcement, social service and medical personnel investigate allegations of abuse and maltreatment of our children in a timely and better coordinated manner. In addition, the Instant Response Teams will further the ability of our City's prosecutors to better prepare possible criminal cases where appropriate. I look forward to working with Commissioner Scoppetta and the five District Attorneys' offices as we continue our commitment to the health and safety of our City's children."
The first phase of the IRT Protocol will become operational in the Spring of 1998. Within the next year, the program will be fully operational with 21 IRT coordinators in all five boroughs who will be available 24 hours a day to respond to serious cases and follow up on the investigations. The IRT's will work closely with Child Advocacy Centers, or other specialized programs which are currently in operation and offer a safe, caring environment for treating, interviewing and evaluating the victims of abuse. There are four such facilities in Manhattan, two in the Bronx, one in Brooklyn, with others being developed in Queens and Staten Island.
- The Instant Response Teams will respond to the following types of cases:
Fatalities involving children under the age of 18
Severe physical abuse, sexual abuse and maltreatment of children under the age of 18
- The Instant Response Teams will ensure that:
evidence is gathered in a timely, effective, and coordinated manner
in order to reduce the need for repetitive interviewing of children by law
enforcement, medical and social service staff during the investigation
process.
interviews and medical examinations, when possible, are held in child-
friendly surroundings, such as Child Advocacy Centers and special child abuse clinics.
and, where possible, the removal of the "alleged abuser" from the home instead of the child(ren).
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