(a) When the powers and duties of the Department of Human Services in regard to the Child Abuse Hotline and child abuse investigations are transferred to the Department of Arkansas State Police or when the Department of Human Services and the Department of Arkansas State Police contract for the administration of the Child Abuse Hotline or for the Department of Arkansas State Police to conduct child abuse investigations, or both, the Department of Arkansas State Police shall establish a Crimes Against Children Division.
(b) The division shall consist of two (2) sections:
(1)
(A) The Investigation Section, which shall be staffed with civilian personnel and shall be responsible for the investigation of allegations of child abuse in accordance with the Child Maltreatment Act, § 12-18-101 et seq.
(B) Unless the case involves alleged severe maltreatment, if at any point during the investigation of alleged child maltreatment the information gathered becomes sufficient for a possible criminal prosecution, then the case shall be referred for further investigation to the appropriate law enforcement agency.
(C) The Investigation Section shall complete an investigation of all cases assigned to the Investigation Section and refer the case to a local law enforcement agency or a prosecuting attorney for possible criminal prosecution; and
(2) The Child Abuse Hotline Section, which shall administer twenty-four-hour toll-free inward wide-area telephone services (INWATS) to report to the Department of Arkansas State Police information regarding possible incidents of child abuse.
(c)
(1) The division shall develop and maintain statewide statistics regarding the incidence of child abuse.
(2) Each county and city law enforcement agency conducting child abuse investigations through referral from the Child Abuse Hotline shall report the status and disposition of these investigations to the division on a monthly basis.
(d)
(1) If the powers and duties of the Department of Human Services in regard to the Child Abuse Hotline and child abuse investigations are transferred to the Department of Arkansas State Police, the division and the Department of Human Services shall enter into a memorandum of understanding that shall include provisions that address the sharing of information reported to the Child Abuse Hotline with the Department of Human Services when such information is necessary for the division to provide appropriate service delivery to children and families.
(2) If the Department of Human Services and the Department of Arkansas State Police contract for the administration of the Child Abuse Hotline or for the Department of Arkansas State Police to conduct child abuse investigations, or both, the contract shall include provisions that address the sharing of information reported to the Child Abuse Hotline with the Department of Human Services when such information is necessary for the division to provide appropriate service delivery to children and families.
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