FAYETTEVILLE — Law enforcement, social service agencies and victim advocates need to formalize a process for investigating crimes against adults with disabilities, supporters of the measure said recently.
In Arkansas, social service agents and caregivers are required to report crimes to Adult Protective Services, a division of the Arkansas Department of Human Services, but are not required to call the police.
The NWA Disability and Violence Collaborative, host of last week’s conference, wants that to change even if it begins only on a regional level. The collaborative, composed of leaders from many of the region’s nonprofit agencies, wants crimes against the disabled investigated as crimes, not “neglect” or “abuse,” as is often the case.
For that to happen, agency heads need to start talking to one another about cases and potential cases.
“This is about people from different professions coming together to share information, and that doesn’t always happen,” said Fayetteville detective David Williams. “This is a great idea.”
In attendance at the Nov. 19 conference were prosecutors, police officers, security guards and directors of nonprofit organizations from across Northwest Arkansas. They met at the Washington County jail.
To help make its point, the collaborative brought in Massachusetts State Police Trooper Lisa Washington-Brown, who is assigned to her state’s Disabled Persons Protection Commission. Her job is to investigate violent, sexual and financial crimes against the mentally disabled.
“These are crimes that are happening,” said Washington-Brown. “You don’t get to minimize it because the victim is disabled.”
Crimes can take place at homes, community residences and state facilities, as well as on work programs and in transport vehicles, said Washington-Brown. While millions of crimes against the mentallydisabled are committed each year, few cases are reported and fewer still are ever prosecuted, she said.
A case of “abuse” or “neglect” is investigated and might eventually come to the attention of police, Williams said. But in many instances, police never know about the case or find out after months of ongoing abuse, he said.
“The criminal, punitive aspect is left out of it,” said Syard Evans, referring to the state’s regulation that social service agents report cases to Adult Protective Services and not the police. As director of education at the Arkansas Support Network, which serves the mentally disabled and their families, Evans has had to report cases.
For now, the creation of a regional, multiagency group to focus on crimes against the disabled is the goal. Williams said creating such a group, which could meet once a month, shouldn’t be too difficult.
In the long term, supporters might seek state legislation based on the Massachusetts model linking human services and the police.
“That’s down the road,” said Angie Albright, executive director of the Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter.
Arkansas, Pages 18 on 11/26/2010