Law Enforcement Procedures for DEC

These are recommended procedures developed by the National Alliance for Drug Endangered Children.  Various localities may need to adjust the strategies depending on their resources.  As local, state and federal protocols are approved and implemented, this information will be updated.

When a child is found at the scene of a clan lab or other drug related case, law officers investigate and build a case for child endangerment or abuse charges as well as the drug case.  Keeping that in mind, law enforcement should:

1) Document the quantity and types of chemicals present and document how they were found (uncapped, in tin cans, etc.) so that the exposure to the child can be determined.  Document the condition of the home.  Document odors and state of the lab (actively cooking, decanting stage, drying stage, etc.)  Document the people at the scene and those who also reside in the home.

2) It is best if personnel on the scene are clan lab certified and DEC trained in order to be able to accurately collect, document and photograph the scene as to aid in the child endangerment prosecution - i.e. height of place where chemical was found, location of drugs, general state of children, guns, pornography, etc.

3) Collect and submit all the required data for EPIC and/or other data base collection.

4) Transport child in accordance with local protocol, in conjunction with Child Protective Services.