This week something became abundantly clear to me. The Department of Child Protective Services in the state of Tennessee, or at least in Hamilton County, are asleep at the wheel.
Early yesterday afternoon local news stations broke the news: "Animals Removed from Soddy Daisy Home." What the news station either didn't know, or didn't report, was that the children of this home were removed over the weekend by Soddy Daisy Police. Soddy Daisy Police had these parents in city court on multiple occasions over code violations. Soddy Daisy Police Department did all they were allowed to do under current state law.
Per state law, Child Protective Services was called. The children were placed with relatives pending action taken by CPS. So here's your problem. Soddy Daisy Police did all they were allowed to do under state law. Jurisdiction lies solely under CPS, whom incidentally never showed. Well, until the Humane Educational Society showed up to take the dogs.
After the HES arrived and found the kids, back at the residence, more action was taken. So here's my point. Where was CPS in the 36 hours that followed? <crickets> The response time was literally faster about a dog than about kids. Is this really where our state's focus is?
Here's what I'd like to see. A quick reaction response team, if not by county, by region. If they can do a Meth Task Force then they can certainly have a CPS Task Force. When officers call, there needs to be a response, no matter what time of day or night.
James Berry
District 1 resident