Do DCF and the Police Work Together in Connecticut?

• The Department of Children and Families will get involved when there is a perceived risk of child abuse or neglect.
• Sometimes, the police get involved too.
• A police investigation and a DCF investigation are different things, but you have rights in both situations.
• Call a Connecticut DCF Defense Lawyer today to learn how to best approach an investigation by DCF and/or the police.

They can. The Department of Children and Families is a Connecticut Agency that investigates suspected child abuse and neglect. The individual town and city police departments may also want to get involved. One way we often see the police and DCF overlap is when the police respond to a domestic violence call. If the children are home during the event, the police will almost invariably call to report to DCF. To learn more about domestic violence arrests in Connecticut, click here.

As any skilled Connecticut defense attorney would tell you, whether the police, DCF, or both come knocking at your door you have rights that you can and should assert. You do not have to talk to either the police or DCF without an attorney present. They might try to persuade you to do so, but even the most well-meaning comment could be taken out of context and make for a difficult road ahead of you. The best advice if police or DCF come to your door is to politely ask them to come back once you have spoken to an attorney. To learn more about the benefits of a DCF attorney, click here.

Similar to the police, anything you say to DCF can be used against you- nothing is confidential. When investigating a case, DCF will often reach out to the police department to learn more about any open cases or former cases they may have investigated. Furthermore, if you are arrested and being prosecuted, the courts will generally want to hear from DCF on how their investigation is going. While this cannot be avoided, counsel can help make sure you are cooperating while also advocating diligently for a positive resolution.

Maybe. Criminal charges and DCF allegations are separate, however they can bear on each other. The burden that must be met for a substantiation in a DCF case is much lower than the burden needed for a conviction. If a DCF case is closed with no substantiations, this can be shown to the police or prosecutors as evidence for why a favorable disposition should be had. On the other hand, if a criminal case is closed either pre or post arrest without a conviction, this can be shown to DCF. Getting to closure is where an attorney could help, a skilled Connecticut defense attorney can help you work with DCF and the police to secure your reputation and your future.

If you are being investigated by the Department of Children and Families or suspect that a criminal case may cause the police to get DCF involved, you don’t need to face it alone. Our hundreds of certified 5-star reviews on Avvo.com speak to the help that a defense lawyer can provide. Call the lawyers at Mark Sherman Law today to learn more.