Florida boys safe, parents no threat: Did police overreact?, Two Florida boys kidnapped by their parents have been returned to the U.S. safely thanks to a call from Cuban authorities, according to Fox News. But the more concerning picture now is whether the children have been removed from their parents' custody wrongfully, with My Fox Tampa Bay pointing out some inconsistencies.
Louisiana Police Department officers said the husband and wife couple were "acting in a bizarre manner that alarmed officers." The officers found narcotics in the couple's motel room at that time, which could explain any "bizarre behavior," of course. But there is no report of violence towards the children or the officers at that time.
Additionally, My Fox Tampa Bay reports that a statement was issued by authorities that the parents had attended an "anti-government rally," but no additional information was provided, despite requests by the press for clarification or proof of when and where it occurred.
Police also say they found weapons in the motel room of the Hakkens and thus arrested the pair. But there is no mention of any stolen or unlawfully possessed weapons. And as a result of the arrest, the children went into Louisiana foster care.
Typically, if parents are arrested for a crime, any children at their home or other location are allowed to stay with family members if there appears to be no objections and the family members check out. In this case, however, the family members lived in another state, which complicated matters, but could still have been worked out. Yet they boys ended up in foster care.
Each state's laws differ, and the state of Louisiana's Department of Family and Children Services has its own set of rules for parents to regain custody of their children. So when Josh and Sharyn Hakken were released from jail on bond they would have normally been able to reclaim their children, despite the weapons and narcotics charges pending. That's because American law states that a person is innocent of charges until proven guilty in a court of law.
What happened instead may have triggered this week's fleeing attempt by Josh and Sharyn Hakken. And it possibly could have been avoided.
In cases in which a child is placed in foster care for their own safety, a parent still has the right to work the agency's program in order to regain custody at a later date. Yet there has been no mention of the Hakken's working a reunification program, or even any mention that there was one. Additionally, there has been no mention of harm to either child.
Josh Hakken brandished a weapon at the foster care home in which his children were initially placed, but he did not use it, according to CNN. Instead, when threatened by the foster care parents with a call to the police, he left without harming anyone. Is that the acts of a dangerous man, or the frustration of a concerned parent?
When Josh Hakken broke into his mother-in-law's home in Florida and recovered his two small sons he didn't harm her either, only tying her up so she could not stop him, but he certainly could have harmed her, if he had wanted to.
Profile
Perhaps this is a case in which a couple should have been given more opportunities for mental health and drug treatment programs, if applicable, before having their children permanently removed from their care after one years time?
Overreaction isn't always the best solution by law enforcement, foster care agencies, concerned families or frustrated parents, and it can have far-reaching consequences: scrutinized national attention on the police agency and foster care system for one, as well as additional charges against the parents for another; not to mention the emotional toll for family members.
And now reports reveal that Cole and Chase are unharmed after being abducted by their parents and transported to Cuba, despite the proclamation by Hillsborough County Sheriff's Corporal Kevin Bodie earlier, who said, "Yes, we do feel they are in danger due to the nature of the means in which they were taken," ABC News reported.
But neither child was harmed, and neither was the foster parents in Louisiana or their grandmother in Florida, despite being tied up to prevent her from alerting authorities to their abduction. And in the end, once the husband and wife made it to Cuba with their to children, they didn't try to fight it out with police there either, harming no one but themselves with their new judicial charges pending.
National Criminal Profiles Examiner Radell Smith has a degree in behavioral forensics, knowledge and experience in local, state and federal law enforcement agency procedures and experience in the foster care system.
© Radell Smith
Use of any portion of this article without the express permission of the author is strictly forbidden by U.S. copyright laws and subject to legal consequences as well as monetary fines.
source examiner
Louisiana Police Department officers said the husband and wife couple were "acting in a bizarre manner that alarmed officers." The officers found narcotics in the couple's motel room at that time, which could explain any "bizarre behavior," of course. But there is no report of violence towards the children or the officers at that time.
Additionally, My Fox Tampa Bay reports that a statement was issued by authorities that the parents had attended an "anti-government rally," but no additional information was provided, despite requests by the press for clarification or proof of when and where it occurred.
Police also say they found weapons in the motel room of the Hakkens and thus arrested the pair. But there is no mention of any stolen or unlawfully possessed weapons. And as a result of the arrest, the children went into Louisiana foster care.
Typically, if parents are arrested for a crime, any children at their home or other location are allowed to stay with family members if there appears to be no objections and the family members check out. In this case, however, the family members lived in another state, which complicated matters, but could still have been worked out. Yet they boys ended up in foster care.
Each state's laws differ, and the state of Louisiana's Department of Family and Children Services has its own set of rules for parents to regain custody of their children. So when Josh and Sharyn Hakken were released from jail on bond they would have normally been able to reclaim their children, despite the weapons and narcotics charges pending. That's because American law states that a person is innocent of charges until proven guilty in a court of law.
What happened instead may have triggered this week's fleeing attempt by Josh and Sharyn Hakken. And it possibly could have been avoided.
In cases in which a child is placed in foster care for their own safety, a parent still has the right to work the agency's program in order to regain custody at a later date. Yet there has been no mention of the Hakken's working a reunification program, or even any mention that there was one. Additionally, there has been no mention of harm to either child.
Josh Hakken brandished a weapon at the foster care home in which his children were initially placed, but he did not use it, according to CNN. Instead, when threatened by the foster care parents with a call to the police, he left without harming anyone. Is that the acts of a dangerous man, or the frustration of a concerned parent?
When Josh Hakken broke into his mother-in-law's home in Florida and recovered his two small sons he didn't harm her either, only tying her up so she could not stop him, but he certainly could have harmed her, if he had wanted to.
Profile
Perhaps this is a case in which a couple should have been given more opportunities for mental health and drug treatment programs, if applicable, before having their children permanently removed from their care after one years time?
Overreaction isn't always the best solution by law enforcement, foster care agencies, concerned families or frustrated parents, and it can have far-reaching consequences: scrutinized national attention on the police agency and foster care system for one, as well as additional charges against the parents for another; not to mention the emotional toll for family members.
And now reports reveal that Cole and Chase are unharmed after being abducted by their parents and transported to Cuba, despite the proclamation by Hillsborough County Sheriff's Corporal Kevin Bodie earlier, who said, "Yes, we do feel they are in danger due to the nature of the means in which they were taken," ABC News reported.
But neither child was harmed, and neither was the foster parents in Louisiana or their grandmother in Florida, despite being tied up to prevent her from alerting authorities to their abduction. And in the end, once the husband and wife made it to Cuba with their to children, they didn't try to fight it out with police there either, harming no one but themselves with their new judicial charges pending.
National Criminal Profiles Examiner Radell Smith has a degree in behavioral forensics, knowledge and experience in local, state and federal law enforcement agency procedures and experience in the foster care system.
© Radell Smith
Use of any portion of this article without the express permission of the author is strictly forbidden by U.S. copyright laws and subject to legal consequences as well as monetary fines.
source examiner
