2009 - 3 DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN & FAMILY SERVICES MULTI-AGENCY RESPONSE TEAM (MART)

PURPOSE OF ORDER

The purpose of this order is to adopt guidelines for the appropriate use of Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) Multi Agency Response Team (MART) personnel during the service of pre-planned search warrant operations.

SCOPE OF ORDER

All Bureau personnel.

ORDER

The Bureau has entered into a collaboration with MART to provide assistance to Bureau personnel by responding to endangerment or neglect incidents encountered during search warrant services.

This order shall apply to all pre-planned search warrant operations and in any case where the luxury of time affords an opportunity to request a MART investigator prior to warrant service.  Because a vast majority of search warrants written by this Bureau are drafted in pursuit of firearms or illegal drugs, the following guidelines shall be followed to ensure the safety of minors who reside with gang members:

• The notification of MART in advance of a warrant operation is the best way of ensuring a rapid response. Team sergeants shall incorporate the notification of MART into their routine pre-service administrative procedures.  In all cases where less than three locations are to be searched, MART shall be notified and asked to be placed on-call or to respond at their discretion. If upon service and in all cases where minors are found in the presence of unsecured firearms, narcotics or in any condition that is a threat to their health and safety, a MART investigator shall be asked to respond.
• For operations involving three or more locations to be searched, the presence of a MART investigator shall be requested and asked to stage at the command post.
• Personnel may be asked to assist DCFS with evidence gathering, such as video or digital photos.  Evidence to support DCFS does not fall under the chain of evidence procedures of the Sheriff’s Department.  Personnel may take additional video and digital photos, not for criminal prosecution, and provide it directly to DCFS workers for Dependency Court.

DCFS services may include taking children into protective custody, formulating a “protective plan” for the family, placing the child with relatives, ordering adult gang members from the home while keeping the family and children in place, monitoring gang families and providing conditional services.  DCFS has lower “thresholds” for detaining children.  Those acts of endangerment rising to a crime must be documented by Bureau personnel in the appropriate first or supplemental report.

Detectives and sergeants reviewing reports should be vigilant in reviewing crime reports involving gang-related violence and children.  Should a specific gang residence become the target of multiple acts of violence, DCFS workers should be contacted to assess whether the children residing at the location are endangered or not.

A working agreement defining roles and responsibilities has been approved between the Department and DCFS.