CCTV and Recording Technology Site Review Report

Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center (DCAC)

Dallas, Texas

October 26, 2010

Jurisdictional Information

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Dallas County is the 8th most populous county in the United States with over 2.4 million residents. Fifty-three percent (53%) of this population is white, 38% Hispanic, 22% black, and 6% other. Nearly 40% of the population speaks a language other than English at home. Eighteen percent (18%)live under the federal poverty line.

Grant Information

DCAC was awarded the grantin October 2009. The project goal was to upgrade outdated equipment in two forensic interview rooms with new, reliable technology. DCAC requested and received approximately $30,000.

Site Meeting Participants

Sharon Elstein, ABA

Molly Hicks, ABA

Irish Burch, DCAC

Child Advocacy Center

Located in the city of Dallas, TX, the Dallas Child Advocacy Center (DCAC) was established in 1991 with an annual caseload of 725. Since that time, its annual caseload has more than doubled. In 2010, DCAC served approximately 2,000 victims and families.

Since its inception, DCAC has been housed in a Victorian-style mansion in northeast Dallas. There are two waiting areas on the ground floor, a reception area, and limited office space. The second floor houses DCAC staff and MDT members, therapy rooms, and two forensic interview rooms. There is a single, shared observation room, which is accessed via a sound-proof, rotating door (see Figure 1-2).

The partial third floor features additional office space, including a small conference room, and the recording and duplication equipment. As DCAC’s caseload has increased over the years, the staff and MDT have largely outgrown the three-story historic building. For example, DCAC employs 5 forensic interviewers, but has only 2 interview rooms. Similarly, while 20 therapists are available to provide treatment, DCAC has only 5 therapy rooms. As a result, demand that could be met with current staff levels cannot be met due to shortages of dedicated space. DCAC has recognized its space limitation and is currently planning a move to a larger facility.

MDT

There are 26 law enforcement municipalities in Dallas County. DCAC has executed inter-agency agreements with all of these entities, as well as Child Protective Services, the District Attorney’s Office, and the Children’s Medical Center of Dallas. Together, these partners comprise the DCAC multi-disciplinary team (MDT). The MDT meets weekly, bi-weekly and monthly for case coordination and review. Five to 25 cases are discussed at each MDT meeting, which are held at the DCAC facility.

Equipment

Using ABA grant funds, DCAC purchased two iRecord “Professional” packages and several smaller items to support these packages. Installation, training and warranty costs were also covered by the ABA grant. At the outset of the project, DCAC encountered multiple challenges with their local iRecord vendor. However, after extensive negotiation with the iRecord corporate office, they were able to resolve the vendor issues. Since that time, the replacement equipment has worked well and DCAC is satisfied with the equipment and service.

Case Flow and Management

Victims are referred to DCAC from law enforcement, Child Protective Services (CPS), and the District Attorney’s Office. Consistent with DCAC’s investigative protocol, police do not interview or have contact with the children prior to the forensic interview. Instead, DCAC’s forensic interviewers are informed of any specific requests for information prior to conducting the interview. Law enforcement is required to observe the interview; CPS is encouraged to observe.

Once it is determined that charges will be filed, DCAC tracks cases using a specialized victim management database, Harmony (see Figure 3). Staff members enter preliminary data based on information collected at DCAC. Subsequent updates are made using data gathered from MDT partners and the Dallas County Court system.

Case Recordings

Immediately following each interview session, the forensic interviewer burns one copy of the interview for the law enforcement representative who observed the interview. The copy is hand-delivered from the interviewer to the law enforcement representative. A digital copy of the recording is retained at DCAC.

Case Evaluation

DCAC programs and operations are formally reviewed once a year by all MDT partners, and informal feedback is obtained during regular MDT meetings. The center’s forensic interviewers are also evaluated for individual performance throughout the year on a case-by-case basis.

Community Outreach

DCAC has several community-based programs designed to extend its reach beyond the direct care and support provided at the center. Each year, thousands of parents and other caregivers receive education and training on child abuse issues and how to protect children from harm. In addition, DCAC hosts an annual Crimes Against Children Conference that offers educational and training opportunities to approximately 3,000 professionals (e.g., law enforcement, CPS, legal staff) each year.

Future Growth

DCAC's current facility is no longer adequate to accommodate the number of clients seen each year, to meet identified need in the community, or to house the partners and staff required to serve the large number of child victims in need. In order to provide the quality of care that is required for these sensitive and complex cases, DCAC has undertaken a major capital campaign to support the construction of a new facility.

Among the features to be included in this new facility: 5 interview rooms, each with a dedicated observation room; expanded office space for law enforcement and Child Protective Services staff; additional therapy rooms; medical examination rooms; and a training center. The new facility also will feature separate entrances and waiting areas for forensic interviews, supervised visitation, and therapy. All totaled, the new facility will increase DCAC’s square footage from 14,000 sf to 55,000 sf. Floor plans for the new building are included below as Figures 4-5.

Contact Information

Ashley Lind, Chief of Programs, , 214-818-2600.