WMPD frustrated by DHS dealings in abandoned baby case

WMPD frustrated by DHS dealings in abandoned baby case

Couple leaves child in parking lot, arrested on drug charges

news@theeveningtimes.com

The Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) will review staffing and procedures after West Memphis police officers couldn't reach agency personnel to assist with a baby found cradled in a car carrier left on the ground in a restaurant parking space.

Last Wednesday, WMPD officers responded to an urgent call to the Krystal restaurant after a baby boy was left in the parking lot.

The restaurant's manager and a customer took the baby inside the restaurant and waited for police according to West Memphis Police Captain Joe Baker.

Officers said they determined the child was unharmed but found a prescription pill with him in the carrier. The pill was a schedule four narcotic, Clonaezam, for which neither parent had a prescription. The panic and anxiety medication impairs memory, judgment and coordination.

The parents, who had after driving away leaving their three month old on the ground realized they left their child behind, called the restaurant to ask about the baby.

Police arrived by the time the parents returned for the baby.

“Our officers then determined they were under the influence of something,” said Baker. “It was obvious. They were so stoned they couldn't tell you if they were coming or going. They found the pills and paraphernalia, a straw he admitted to using to snort after crushing the pill.”

Baker said Chris Poindexter, 19, and Savanna Poindexter, 20, were arrested thirty minutes after the initial call on both child-endangerment and drug charges.

Krystal Manager Rose Love was confounded and talked about the phone call from the Poindexters.

“I mean you just drive away and leave your baby and then call and say, 'I think I left him.' I mean, look in the back-seat. Your child is not there!” said Love.

Love was not the only one upset. Police took issue with the Department of Human Services (DHS) when the department could not make contact with the agency to hand over the child. It was not the first time West Memphis police rang DHS and got nothing but answering machine responses.

“This is where the story gets into issues we have been having with DHS,” said Baker.

The Department met with DHS in September after other communication breakdowns.

“This problem has been ongoing for quite sometime,” said Baker. “DHS was open it was 3 p.m. on a business day. We were given a list after we met with them about similar issues.

We called the list they

gave us so this would 'never happen again,'” said Baker.

Dispatchers work up the chain of supervision using the DHS given to police in September. Next, Baker's calls to the area director and local department office rolled to voice mail. Police had both office and cell phone contacts but no one for DHS answered the phone.

Police then contacted the baby's grandmother, he said, and determined she could care for the child.

Baker expressed frustrations over the 'chronic problems' with DHS dating back years.

'At ground level, it is a horribly run organization,' he said Friday morning after the couple had been arraigned.

Amy Webb, a Department of Human Services spokesman, admitted to 2.5 hours response gap from all four employees on the new official list, stating all unavailable when West Memphis police called Wednesday. She blamed staffing constraints. One of them was on leave, another was in “Little Rock without cell phone service” and the other two were working on a case conducting an interview. Finally, DHS Area Director Cyndi Rowlett contacted Police Chief Donald Oakes.

'We're working to address it so we don't have this issue again,' Webb said.

'The process just didn't work in this situation.'

That process for reaching an agency official was instituted after officials met with West Memphis police in September. Baker said he, Oakes, Rowlett and Division of Child and Family Services Director Mischa Martin were there to implement the agency's phonecall

system.

“The meeting took place after a Sept. 19 situation after police found a 15year-old boy who had been hit in the head with a pool cue by his mother,” Baker said.

According to reports, the boy had a cut that needed stitches. It took 17 calls — 22 minutes — to contact Crittenden County's Department of Human Services

caseworker, did not

want to drive to West Memphis to help take the boy to a hospital in Memphis.

Paramedics decided to take the boy to Forrest City Medical Center in St. Francis County — out of the caseworker's jurisdiction.

It wasn't the first time West Memphis officers had to care for children.

Baker said contact calls to DHS regarding a sexually assaulted pre-teen went to voice mail two weeks ago.

The Captain also indicated that officers and dispatchers in recent years have turned baby-sitter, sometimes even buying meals and disposable diapers out of their own pocket.

Police decided to keep the issues between the two agencies, but after the process failed again last Wednesday, Baker called out DHS in the media attempting to force action.

'We're to the point where they have to do something to make some changes,' Baker said.

The department is reviewing Wednesday's situation, and administrators 'understand police frustration,' Webb said.

She added that Rowlett will visit the West Memphis area more often, and the department is looking to hire additional caseworkers.

Baker took a wait and see stance.

“When they gave us the contact list the last time they said it was so this would never happen again,” emphasized Baker.

“Something has to change.”

By John Rech