The St. Petersburg Times has a story of a disturbing trend involving Florida DUI arrests with children in the car. Officers seem to be seeing this circumstance more frequently, and can result in additional criminal charges of child neglect being brought against the driver.
A child neglect charge is now encourages in these circumstances, which has not always been the case in the past. In addition, such a charge puts into motion an investigation of the child’s home life, and can help identify children who might have dangerous home situations that may not have been noticed.
Neglect charges are not just happening in cases of DUI stops. Any criminal activity by parents with children present may result in the additional criminal offense in an arrest, including illegal drug purchases and transactions, and many other possible situations.
In any case, while this trend is unsettling, at least law enforcement and Florida social services and the Department of Children and Families are taking the right approach to helping kids who may be in need.
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