Any non-custodial parent that has called his local police department hoping to get assistance in upholding the mandatory parenting plan understands the frustration that parents feel from the lack of support received. It’s simple - the police officers that WE fund to uphold the laws of our state simply won’t get involved in this civil issue. They will tell you they don’t get involved with civil issues, but the fact remains they do get involved in some civil issues - but they pick and chose which ones.
Here is a quote that strikes me odd. Maybe it strikes my funny bone, and provides that sting that goes along with a strike of the funny bone. Actually, it’s quite disgusting to read it from a police official in Washington State.
“To answer your question why we are not aggressively going after Civil Contempt of Parenting plans, or parenting plan violations should be pretty obvious to you: because no one is paying us to do so. ”
Talk about an understandment. It’s not that it’s not aggressive, its that it is non-existent! Period.
For instance, many domestic violence issues are simple civil issues. But, under Federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) funding, the police receive federal funding to get involved with this type of civil issue. They make it their business. This author has no issue with that, as long as it is applied equally to all domestic violence issues, and bias is not shown, but male and female perpetrators are treated equally. Of course we all know that its not today.
However, divorce has several other issues that are civil - child support and parenting plans. But a state requirement before a judge will give a divorce is a parenting plan. WE’ve written often about the bias that our judges give out with their parenting plans without even batting an eye, or feeling bad - its blatant, and well understood. It happens, each and every day, and the judges don’t care, since it is a part of their funding through the Division of Child Support.
However, why police will get involved with child support issues, while ignoring parenting plan violations baffles many. Let’s expose the truth about it, so everyone understands it. Until we understand this problem, we can’t fix it. And its quite simple, in the eyes of police - nobody pays them to do it. Thats right - in their words, they don’t get paid to uphold the court ordered parenting plan that is there to protect Washington’s Childeren. Yes, I know, your tax dollars are given to them to uphold all laws, and they are not asked to exclude the parenting plan enforcement responsibility from their budget, and there are laws that make it a misdemeanor to withhold a child from another parent for parenting time.
One police office friend told the truth - their officers, and all the officers in Washington State, don’t pursue parenting plan violations - they aren’t trained to do so, they are not encouraged to do so. So, they refuse to do it. You read the quote - they believe they are not paid to do so. Of course this is way beyond irresponsible that our elected law enforcement officials ignore this important aspect of protecting children. I’ve always assumed my taxes are paid to law enforcement to uphold the laws of Washington State - and it is against the law to violate a court ordered parenting plan that was SUPPOSEDLY ordered by the courts to protect the best interest of the child - yet there is no police protection when the best interest of the child is violated.
It’s just like Child Protective Services, you know, the ones that only remove a child from an abuse parent, or foster parent when a gurney is required. DSHS and the police are the same here - they only remove a child after they have been permanently harmed - if then. That is why the 93% of Washington’s children that come from families that only give them 4 days per month - and also get violated at that, fail in school, end up pregnant, commit the majority of teen suicides, and drop out of school.
Great police we have here in Washington State - aren’t they. How to I get my abused tax dollars back? Or, how much will it cost to have my children protected?