DC Code § 4-1301.05 (2021)
2021 District of Columbia Code|Title 4 - Public Care Systems|Chapter 13 - Child Abuse and Neglect|Subchapter I - Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect|Part A - Reporting Abuse and Neglect|§ 4-1301.05. Handling of reports — By police

(a) The police shall, as soon as possible after the receipt of a report of a neglected child other than an abused child, inform the Agency of its contents and any action the police are taking or have taken. (b) The police may, upon the receipt of a report of an abused child, inform the Agency of its contents and shall, as soon as possible when the report is a substantiated report, inform the Agency of its contents and any action they are taking or have taken. (c) The police shall immediately after a report is received commence an investigation of the circumstances alleged in the report. (d) The police shall immediately after a report is received commence an investigation of a case of a neglected child in immediate danger which case was referred from the Agency or reported directly to the police. (e) Upon the receipt of a report alleging a child is or has been left alone or without adequate supervision, the police shall respond to the report immediately and shall take such steps as are necessary to safeguard the child until a Agency staff member arrives: Provided, however, that if the Agency does not arrive within a reasonable time, the police may transport the child to the Agency. The transporting of a child to the Agency pursuant to this subsection shall not be considered a taking into custody as described in § 16-2309.  (Sept. 23, 1977, D.C. Law 2-22, title I, § 105, 24 DCR 3341; Apr. 4, 2001, D.C. Law 13-277, § 2(c), 48 DCR 2043; Oct. 19, 2002, D.C. Law 14-206,§ 2(b), 49 DCR 7815.)  Prior Codifications 1981 Ed., § 6-2103. 1973 Ed., § 6-2103. Section References This section is referenced in § 4-1303.04. Effect of Amendments D.C. Law 13-277 substituted “Agency” for “Division” throughout the section. D.C. Law 14-206, in subsec. (b), substituted “substantiated report” for “supported report”. Emergency Legislation For temporary (90 day) delay of the applicability of provisions changing the manner in which the Child and Family Services Agency will process reports of child abuse and neglect, see § 3 of Improved Child Abuse Investigations Technical Emergency Amendment Act of 2002 (D.C. Act 14-494, October 23, 2002, 49 DCR 9781). For temporary (90 day) delay of the applicability of provisions changing the manner in which the Child and Family Services Agency will process reports of child abuse and neglect, see § 3 of Improved Child Abuse Investigations Technical Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2002 (D.C. Act 14-603, January 7, 2003, 50 DCR 687). Temporary Legislation For temporary (225 day) amendment of section, see § 3(b) of Improved Child Abuse Investigations Technical Temporary Amendment Act of 2002 (D.C. Law 14-240, March 25, 2003, law notification 50 DCR 2753). Editor's Notes Application of Law 14-206: Section 16(b) of D.C. Law 14-310 provided that section 2(a)(2), (4), (5), (6), and (7), (b), (c), (d), (e), (h), (i), (j), (k), and (l) of D.C. Law 14-206 shall apply as of October 1, 2003. For applicability of D.C. Law 13-277, see note following § 4-1303.01a.