Law enforcement agencies in Shelby County taking part in Owens House child abuse training

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - Law enforcement officers in Shelby County are getting more training to help them better respond to child sexual or physical abuse calls.

Dozens of officers from across Shelby County attended the training that included real life scenarios and role playing.

Training leaders say this is all to help officers understand what they do and say after arriving on scene can impact their case.

The training was hosted by Owens House, a children advocacy center in Shelby County. They partnered with the University of Montevallo’s social work program and Shelby County DHR.

The goal is to make sure responding officers know how to communicate with the child, get enough information for the initial report and call Owens House and the Shelby County multi-disciplinary team for interviews to build the case.

Lt. Nathan Kendrick with the SCSO said, “When we get a report of a child that’s been abused or sexually abused, nothing hits you in the feels more than that because children are the most vulnerable people in our society and it’s something that will stick with you for a long time.”

The SCSO said they will continue to participate in these trainings because they want to handle those cases in a way that doesn’t further damage the victim.

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