Intervention

Sparta Police Chief Emilee Nottestad and five other Monroe County law enforcement leaders say years of meetings and a revised agreement with Human Services have failed to resolve problems in the county's response to child abuse and neglect cases. They are asking the County Board to intervene.

In a July 14 letter to county supervisors, the six law enforcement leaders allege that Monroe County's Child Protective Services division has failed to follow agreed communication and reporting procedures and has not responded appropriately when officers request help at scenes. They say officers have taken on responsibilities they believe belong to CPS. Nottestad signed the letter along with Tomah Police Chief Eric Pedersen, Sheriff Wes Revels, Cashton Police Chief Brente Knutson, Norwalk Police Chief Allen Myren and Wilton Police Chief John Stavlo.

The letter describes the problems as a persistent pattern that the law enforcement personnel believe places children at unnecessary risk.

Monroe County Human Services Director Tracy Thorsen responded with a letter to the Herald, describing procedures the county has in place for handling reports and coordinating investigations. She said she did not intend to answer the chiefs' concerns point by point.

Law enforcement personnel trace their concerns to 2022. They say law enforcement, Human Services, Corporation Counsel and the District Attorney's Office spent nearly two years developing a revised memorandum of understanding, or MOU, to clarify how the agencies would work together. According to the letter, all agencies signed that MOU, but Law enforcement personnel say significant problems continued. The letter does not say how many problems there were or how many cases were affected. The letters alone do not show that a child was harmed.

One proposal that did not move forward was assigning a dedicated social worker to each law enforcement agency. The letter says frontline social workers and detectives supported the idea but alleges that MCHS Supervisor Connie Oates did not support implementing it. The chiefs say they believe such an assignment would improve communication and investigations.

The letter from law enforcement personnel states the following concerns:

• Failure of MCHS to follow agreed-upon communication and reporting procedures.
• Failure of MCHS to follow reporting guidelines mandated by state statute and the MOU.
• Failure to respond appropriately to scenes when law enforcement requests assistance, impacting the effective investigation of child abuse and neglect cases as well as decisions about child safety and placement.
• Supervisory staff failing to answer or return calls and emails in a timely manner, if at all.
• Supervisory staff not effectively addressing identified problems.
• Numerous public complaints regarding MCHS, as well as complaints from non-law enforcement partners.
• Loss of experienced CPS workers to other agencies.
• Law enforcement assuming responsibilities that properly fall to CPS due to these ongoing concerns.

As a result of these persistent issues, law enforcement agencies have been forced to implement additional measures, including:

• Officers hand-delivering all police reports to MCHS and obtaining proof of receipt due to repeated claims that reports were not received.
• The Sparta Police Department discontinuing voluntary child placements because MCHS has not provided adequate support to caregivers without a court-ordered placement.

The letter does not say when those practices began or how many cases were involved.

Thorsen said county CPS agencies must provide mandated reporters, including law enforcement officers, feedback within 60 days about actions taken to protect a child's health and welfare. She said Monroe County Human Services follows that requirement and encouraged mandated reporters who believe they have not received notice to contact CPS.

Thorsen distinguished that required feedback from communication during an active investigation. She said the MOU establishes procedures for coordination between CPS and law enforcement, including joint investigations when appropriate. Coordinated interviews, she said, can reduce how many times a child must recount a potentially traumatic experience.

Statements from both groups refer to Stepping Stones Child Advocacy Center. The law enforcement personnel say monthly multidisciplinary meetings with the center have not produced the progress needed to resolve their concerns. Thorsen described those meetings as a forum where CPS, law enforcement, prosecutors, and other professionals can review cases, address coordination issues, and improve their response.

Thorsen's statement did not directly address the hand-delivered reports, Sparta's decision on voluntary placements, the allegations about responses at scenes, or the request for County Board intervention.

"Because individual CPS cases are confidential, there are limits on the information Human Services can publicly discuss about specific referrals or investigations. At the same time, it is important that the community understand that Monroe County has established standards, interagency agreements, and multidisciplinary processes designed to ensure that reports of child abuse and neglect are appropriately assessed and that CPS and law enforcement coordinate their respective responsibilities," Thorsen said.

The dispute matters to Monroe County families because police and Child Protective Services may both be called when a child is believed to be unsafe. Officers investigate possible crimes, while CPS assesses a child's safety and what help a family may need. Law enforcement personnel say delays, missed communications, and disagreements over responsibility have made that work harder. Human Services says procedures are in place to coordinate investigations, but its response does not address several of the specific problems raised in the letter.

Law enforcement personnel say they also raised their concerns with the county administrator before writing to supervisors.

"We are bringing these concerns forward because internal attempts at resolution have repeatedly failed. The magnitude of the problem now requires oversight and intervention from the County Board. We do this hesitantly, but firmly, because the current practices within MCHS's CPS division cannot continue without endangering the very children we are sworn to protect," the letter says.