Spotlight: ESCARS Unit

The ESCARS Unit was created by District Attorney Jackie Lacey as part of her ongoing effort to enhance the protection of children from abuse and neglect.

The unit, which is comprised of a deputy district attorney and four paralegals, got its name from the countywide Electronic Suspected Child Abuse Report System. The unit reviews the sharing of suspected child abuse reports among agencies responsible for protecting children – an important task delegated to the District Attorney’s Office under state law.

These reports aid social workers and law enforcement officers when they respond to allegations of child abuse. If a family has a history of suspected child abuse reports, that information should be in the system and immediately available to the officers or social workers at the scene.

The ESCARS Unit ensures these reports do not slip through the cracks and are followed up properly.

In one of the system’s most noted cases, an officer responding to a suspected child abuse report learned of the existence of a second child at the home while reviewing an earlier report. Armed with that critical information, the officer was able to rebut the mother’s insistence that she had just one child, track down the abused child in another county and get him to safety.
 
The electronic system began operating in 2009 as a faster and more efficient method of sharing child abuse allegations throughout Los Angeles County.

ESCARS operates around the clock. When a report of suspected child abuse is received, an electronic report is entered online and sent simultaneously to appropriate law enforcement agencies, social workers and the District Attorney’s Office.
 
The District Attorney’s Office helped lead the way in implementing the first-of-its-kind electronic system, which collects about 60,000 reports annually.
 
District Attorney Lacey created the ESCARS Unit last year to increase auditing of suspected child abuse reports. With the additional personnel, audits of reports increased from 12 percent in 2014 – before the unit was created – to 60 percent at the start of 2017.  
 
“ESCARS is a great system,” District Attorney Lacey said. “But for the system to work to its full potential, we all have to do our part. The ESCARS Unit works to make sure that children are being protected.”
 
The ESCARS Unit has been part of a larger effort to fine-tune the online portal used for entering abuse reports. That new website will be unveiled later this year.

LADA Salutes its Volunteers of the Year

Every week, volunteers Hanna Dreiling and Rosa Garcia dedicated time to helping victims of crime navigate the criminal justice system.

As volunteers for the Bureau of Victim Services, the pair collectively donated more than 1,500 hours to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. For their effort and enduring commitment, the two were presented the county’s 2017 Volunteer of the Year Award.

Dreiling, an Azusa Pacific University graduate and former personal trainer, donated 650 hours for more than a year, working as a victim services representative at the Torrance Courthouse. In that role, Dreiling offered support to crime victims, many of whom were unfamiliar with legal proceedings and had never set foot in court.

“Everything that you do in this field is usually kind of dark and kind of ugly,” Dreiling said. “With the Bureau of Victim Services, you get to walk with victims and help them recover.”

In February, the enthusiastic volunteer made her commitment official by accepting a full-time position with the Bureau of Victim Services.

Before becoming a volunteer, Garcia was a county employee for 33 years. It was her interest in helping others, particularly those affected by crime, that prompted her to join the volunteer ranks in the District Attorney’s Office.

Now, in her fifth year as a volunteer victim services representative, she continues to find the work immensely rewarding.

The hours she has invested – more than 950 to date – and the manner in which her supervisor characterizes her performance as “compassionate, caring, patient and sympathetic with crime victims” affirms that this is no ordinary job for Garcia.

“Most victims are happy and surprised there’s this service and want to have the counseling.” Garcia states. “I like that we’re helping them to heal.”

Dreiling and Garcia were nominated for the county’s Volunteer of the Year Award by their volunteer coordinators. The women were presented with the award at a ceremony in April where volunteers from throughout the county were honored for their service.

To become a volunteer, visit http://da.lacounty.gov/contact/volunteer .

LADA Receives National Recognition for Mental Health Training, Fraud Prevention