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Kids hurt by drug dealing to get special consideration

By Sue Lindsay, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published December 18, 2008 at 11:03 a.m.
Updated December 18, 2008 at 11:54 p.m.

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Undated photo of baby burned with lye.

Photo by Denver DA

Undated photo of baby burned with lye.

Undated photo of a 11-month-old who had chewed on baggie containing meth.

Photo by Denver DA

Undated photo of a 11-month-old who had chewed on baggie containing meth.

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Children found in homes where drug dealing or manufacturing is going on will get better care under new policies put in place Thursday, officials said.

Denver District Attorney Mitch Morrissey and other officials announced new child abuse policies that give specifics for how drug-endangered children will be treated.

"These are children who are not only at risk for child abuse but medical problems from exposure to chemicals found in drugs or used in their manufacture," Morrissey said. "Some people say drug cases are victimless crimes, but they are not victimless crimes when children are involved."

Home meth labs pose a particular danger, he said.

"When these people pass out after hours of meth use and go into a meth coma, the kids are just left on their own with no food, no water, toilets backed up, all kinds of things," he said.

Young children in these situations are also at risk of ingesting the drugs themselves, he said.

The policies are contained in a revision of the city's 2005 protocol on handling child abuse cases. Morrissey said the protocol is being examined by the National Alliance for Drug-Endangered Children for use as a national model.

The policy provides for coordinated and streamlined response by police, prosecutors, social services and medical personnel, Morrissey said.

"What this really means is that we have taken the lag time out of the decision-making process for handling these cases," said Denver police Division Chief David Fisher. "I see our children, the most vulnerable citizens of our community, getting much better service and treatment without this lag time."

Time is critical in evaluating children for signs of child abuse or health dangers posed by being around or ingesting drugs, said Dr. Kathy Wells, medical director for Denver Health and Hospitals.

The new policy requires immediate medical evaluation, which is critical for children found in homes where drugs are used or manufactured.

Denver Human Services Director Patricia Wilson Pheanious urged citizens to report suspected abuse to the child abuse hot line at 720-944-3000.

Comments

  • December 18, 2008

    11:46 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    FedUPNOW writes:

    What a crock of cr*p! We have been dealing with Denver Social Services for over a year trying to get them to do something about some kids that are in danger because their crack addicted parents are endangering them. They did remove the custodial parent from "grandma's" house where they were living, but recently let her move back home. She was "court ordered" to provide urine analysis twice a week (which she never did), to attend drug rehab classes (which she never did) and to get a job (which she never did). After going through several social service case workers (b/c turnover is so high there), and having the case workers "lose" the case file notes, the courts all but gave up and put her back in the home. Improvements my A**!

  • December 18, 2008

    12:16 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    mytwosense writes:

    These pictures are absolutely heartbreaking. This is America's version of Africa's helpless children caught up in endless civil wars and drought. Here, we have an epidemic of children suffering from negligent, utterly incompetent parenting, many of whom are addicted to one of the most dangerous drugs ever created.

    FedUPNOW, either our Social Services are absolutely overwhelmed with such cases, or there are serious problems in their strategy for getting children out of dangerous situations. Maybe both.

    It is our responsibility as public citizens to keep the spotlight on this unacceptable state of affairs. Thanks to the RMN for doing their part, even if these are some of the most difficult pictures I've had to look at in some time.

  • December 18, 2008

    12:20 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    COLibertarian writes:

    This is a crock. We have for years also been trying to get kids away from Meth user/cook/dealer/identity theft and without any luck. You have to have an address to get them. The dealers know this. They move from house to house to house that the "enablers" provide. They then cook and deal out of 1 house for a few days while the kids are wharehoused at another place. They even make the kids pee in a cup for them so that they wont get busted(not sure how they get away with that, but true)

  • December 18, 2008

    12:21 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    COLibertarian writes:

    One other thing. This is why most of these people do not go on welfare or foodstamps. These require addresses. They find ways around this but for most part the way that it operates

  • December 18, 2008

    12:39 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    SarahJa9 writes:

    This makes me absolutely sick to my stomach! Shame on those parents! I won't say that I think that abortion is a necessiarly good thing, but cases like these is exactly the reason that I'm prochoice!

  • December 18, 2008

    12:45 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Beergut writes:

    I never knew what to wear when changing a diaper, but thanks to your picture on front page I know an idea. Although it might scar the child. Do we really need infant being picked up by people who look like that came out of Starship Troopers?

    Both the problem and the solution are heart breaking.

  • December 18, 2008

    1:27 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    COLibertarian writes:

    Beergut......... You want to go into a Meth cookhouse with anything less?

  • December 18, 2008

    1:31 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Cowboy63 writes:

    It's hard (if not impossible) to protect a kid from their own parents. The best favor the cops can do for these kids is shoot the "parents" for resisting when they break through the door.

    Where are all the legalization advocates that usually appear here to proclaim that drugs are a victimless crime?

  • December 18, 2008

    1:36 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    DenverGirl78 writes:

    Cowboy63, I know you love hyperbole, but the posters you refer to...were they advocating legalization of meth, or of pot? Because, as you may be aware, they're, you know, fairly different drugs.

  • December 18, 2008

    2:11 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    COLibertarian writes:

    DenverGirl there are more than a few that want more than just Pot legalized. Meth specifically? Not sure but have not heard much from them about keeping it illegal. Just the thought of legalizing drugs.....plural.

  • December 18, 2008

    2:13 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    sheepherder writes:

    Legalize it all...all the problems will go away! La la la te da la la

  • December 18, 2008

    2:17 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    mytwosense writes:

    Cowboy63 writes: "Where are all the legalization advocates that usually appear here to proclaim that drugs are a victimless crime?"

    I've never advocated for the legalization of meth. It's a dirty, dangerous drug and a curse on our society. Pot, well, recreational use and growing doesn't hurt anybody, I don't think. People are certainly far less aggressive when they smoke the stuff than when they do meth, or for that matter, drink alcohol.

    The people that are moving tons of it back and forth over the borders, though, a lot of them are dangerous because of the degree of the illegality of what they're doing. That kind of risk attracts the already criminal-minded, or, in some cases, the economically desperate. But again, the final product is benign compared to meth.

  • December 18, 2008

    2:22 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    COLibertarian writes:

    west brakkin sheepherder? streetz r 800 now wat you some ckrabh for mezzin in our biznes?

    luv

    damu

  • December 18, 2008

    2:28 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    jjez writes:

    Sarah---the problem is that these types are so strung out most of the time that they don't even realize they're pregnant until it's too late. And if they give them up, they get arrested because the kid is born stoned. The safe haven law was designed--in part--for people like this but they're too wrapped up in making the drugs so they don't pay attention to anything else. Or they don't think THEY have a problem so they think the kid's okay. They think they can handle it.

  • December 18, 2008

    3:36 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    SarahJa9 writes:

    Jjez, good point. It just kills me to think that we can't save these kids or prevent this from happening in the first place. Can you imagine looking at you child who looks like those in the above pictures and not thinking that there's a problem?

  • December 18, 2008

    3:40 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Cowboy63 writes:

    DenverGirl78 writes: "I know you love hyperbole, but the posters you refer to...were they advocating legalization of meth, or of pot? Because, as you may be aware, they're, you know, fairly different drugs."

    It's still personal, recreational use. Either user would give you the same reasons. Users of either would tell you something along the lines of "What business is it of yours what I choose to put into my body" or "I'm not hurting anyone but myself".

    I hear a lot of "legalize and regulate" arguments for dope. If pot was grown on FDA approved farms (like tobacco) and meth brewed in FDA approved labs (like alcohol) - what would be the difference from a legalization perspective?

    It's difficult to advocate for legalization of one and not the other. Or Opium and Hashish for that matter - after all, they're "natural" too.

  • December 18, 2008

    4:50 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    FedUPNOW writes:

    Anybody with half a brain could figure out that kids and drugs don't mix; legal or illegal. The issue at hand is the fact that these so called "disabled" junkies are not caring for their procreations. These poor kids are left to junkies who would rather get high than be a parent. These kids never asked to be born to a junkie. They will eventually grow up to be the next generation of junkies, and the cycle will continue. It's time to put a stop to it and legalizing any type of illicit drug is not going to put the brakes on this crazy train.

  • December 18, 2008

    5:08 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    DragonInTheSky writes:

    "If pot was grown on FDA approved farms (like tobacco) and meth brewed in FDA approved labs (like alcohol) - what would be the difference from a legalization perspective?"

    The difference is, one of them is made from a seed and grows into a plant...and one of them is made with ingredients like: Drain
    cleaner, Red Devil Lye, Battery acid, and Chloroform.
    Do you really see no difference in these two things, or think a person that smokes weed is no different than a person that smokes meth? Seriously now, lets be rational about this.

  • December 18, 2008

    5:47 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    jjez writes:

    Sarah-their brains are so messed up by the drugs that they can't see anything rationally. Unless something so profound happens that wakes them up from their drug induced stupor and forces them make a real commitment to cleaning up, they just can't care. I personally think that any person, male or female, who destroys the life of a child--their own or someone elses--should be sterilized. Like the Susan Smiths of this world. Anyone who kills their own child should never be allowed to have another. No matter the reason, unless it was truly, provably, accidental. As to making it legal--read about what's going on in Amsterdam lately? Legalized drugs & prostitution aren't working out so well there, these days.

  • December 19, 2008

    6:30 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    angka writes:

    Are these photos from actual Denver drug cases, or are they just the most shocking photos of drughouse children from around the country?

    I think I support the proposal here but I hate being emotionally manipulated by gruesome photos. I don't like it when the Denver DA does it any more than the abortion truck crazies.

  • December 19, 2008

    6:32 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    angka writes:

    Also, Amsterdam's overall crime rate is much lower than most major American cities. Don't know what the point is to the above comment but it deserves a correction.