Prevent child abuse task force to be formed
Law enforcement will organize
Mary Margaret Moorhead - Staff Writer

As a resource for the prevention of child abuse and also for the prosecution of offenders, the Ripley County Council for the Prevention of Child Abuse, Inc. plans to organize a task force of police department representatives.

Meeting on Tuesday, November 1, in the boardroom of the Indiana State Police Department were representatives of the Probation Office, the Department of Child Services, Indina State Police, Batesville Police Department, and Sunman Police Department.

Sandy Howard, executive director of the Ripley County Council for the Prevention of Child Abuse, discussed an upcoming two-day training to be facilitated by Terry Hall of the Indianapolis Police Department.

"We want organize a group of police department representatives as a child abuse task force to make proper investigations when abuse is reported," said Howard.

A time and place for the training will be announced as soon as final arrangements are made with Hall, Howard said. The purpose of the training will be to enable law enforcement to prosecute perpetrators of child abuse.

The training will be primarily for law enforcement personnel, but Howard believes other agencies can be involved as support groups. "We want to form a network that can work effectively to prevent or prosecute child abuse," she said.

Although not represented at Tuesday's meeting, the county's other police departments - Milan, Osgood, and Versailles - have also indicated interest in being a part of the task force.

When other details are completed, Howard will announce the dates and place for the two-day training.

The mission of the Ripley County Council for the Prevention of Child Abuse is a commitment to the "alleviation of child abuse through education, coordination, and intervention."

Materials distributed at the November 1 meeting informed participants of the goals - which include public awareness, membership expansion and marketing, and an annual report.

Information on the indicators of abuse and neglect were also included as was the standard protocol for reporting suspected child abuse or neglect.

When a child is abused, it becomes every person's problem, the reports concluded.