Regional Crimes Against Children Task Force Pilot Program

Regional Crimes Against Children Task Force Pilot Program

In law enforcement, it is a well-acknowledged fact that agencies grapple with varying challenges when it comes to addressing cases of child abuse and neglect, depending on their geographical location and the size of the communities they serve. While often equipped with more detectives, urban areas sometimes need help to adequately manage the substantial volume of cases and increase reports resulting from population growth. Conversely, rural areas have difficulties, including geographic isolation, limited personnel and financial resources, and deficient community services and support.

This situation necessitates rural law enforcement officers to adopt a versatile approach, emphasizing generalization over-specialization due to the intricate nature of child abuse and neglect cases. Furthermore, there can be extended gaps between reports and investigations related to child abuse and neglect in rural areas. These infrequent cases pose a challenge in establishing and sustaining a Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) partnership, potentially leading to a less effective MDT response to these cases, negatively impacting case outcomes and efforts toward justice for the child victim. Developing a dedicated Regional Crimes Against Children Task Force presents a promising model for overcoming the hurdles in conducting effective investigations into child maltreatment. It also brings additional advantages to the MDT.

Request for Applications

Last year CACTX, with support and input from the Statewide Multidisciplinary Task Force, issued a Request for Application (RFA) for support of a Regional Crimes Against Children Task Force (RCACTF) Pilot. Due to the promising nature of the pilot and the interest in this strategy among other MDTs throughout Texas, CACTX and the Task Force have decided to issue an additional RFA to fund communities interested in piloting a similar program.

If your community is interested in learning more about this opportunity, please download the application HERE.

Applications are due by January 5, 2024, by 5 pm CST. Applicants will be informed by January 12, 2024, if they have been selected for funding.

Questions regarding the intent of this RFA or application submissions can be directed to Hannah Gibson-Moore, Program Initiatives Principal, at hmoore@cactx.org.