Re: Privatization of CPS

[Burt Cohen <cohen@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The Center for the Study of Youth Policy at the University of Pennsylvania
has a grant from the National Institute of Justice to evaluate the transfer
of CPS investigations to the Sheriffs Office in Manatee, Pasco, and
Pinellas Counties in Florida.  We are just getting started, so there are no
evaluation results available yet and won't be for some time.  Our grant
covers those three counties because they were the ones named in the
legislation to be the pilots.  I have known about Broward County and there
is a good likelihood that we will be adding Broward to our research.

So far the only other place I know of that has had law enforcement agencies
conducting investigations is the State of Arkansas.  In that state, the
responsibility has been given to the State Police.  However their
responsibility is not as broad as in Florida since they only handle the
most serious cases (about 30% of the total).  I do not know of any
evaluations that have been conducted of the Arkansas experience.  It has
not been going on for very long.

Burt Cohen
Center for the Study of Youth Policy
University of Pennsylvania

At 08:30 AM 3/6/00 -0500, you wrote:
>
>The State of Florida is in the process of privatizing all child
>protective services. About a half dozen counties have transferred the
>investigation functions to the Sheriff's offices. The latest.
>information available suggests that only about half of the current
>staff are hired by the sheriffs. In Broward county they are now
>wearing uniforms, the same as non-sworn personnel, and driving cars
>which are clearly marked as belonging to the sheriff's office. My own
>experience has been that not being a law enforcement officer has
>facilitated engaging families, Especially those parents who have
>extensive criminal histories. Additionally, the percentage of staff w/
>little or no experience is apparently increasing in these counties.
>
>Is there any research or information available on this subject?
>
>Thanks!
>
>Terry Buckenmeyer
>Child Protective Investigations
>St. Augustine, FL
>
>
>
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Burton J. Cohen, Ph.D.				Phone: 215-898-2505
Center for the Study of Youth Policy		Fax: 215-573-2791
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