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CLEAR Temp: 50 °F Wind: CLM at 0 mph Thursday, November 21, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend September 25, 2002 Pact aims to safeguard interests of officers, shelter A deal is near on how to treat warrants at Dunn House By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune Nearly a year after Dunn House shelter workers were accused of hiding a wanted woman and her child from police, both groups have all but agreed on guidelines to prevent future confusion. Specific warrant procedures will outline strict steps designed to protect confidentiality of clients at the Jackson County battered women’s shelter while also allowing police legal access, a draft document shows. The six-point guidelines are seen as a rare collaboration between advocates for domestic violence victims and law enforcement groups. "It’s pretty cutting edge in terms of the nation," said Gerry Sea, who heads the Jackson County Council for Sexual and Domestic Violence. "Nobody has a formalized process," added Maggie Jordan, director of victim services for Community Works, which runs the Dunn House shelter. Under the guidelines, shelter workers are not required to assist law enforcement officers in finding clients or serving arrest warrants. However, shelter staff are prohibited from warning clients about police or hindering officers’ entry into the shelter, the draft shows. Once staff members learn a client or potential client is wanted in a valid warrant, they are not allowed to provide shelter or other assistance. Law enforcement officers, for their part, must present valid identification and search or arrest warrants. If officers telephone the shelter seeking information about a client, staffers are instructed not to reply. The rules will allow for protection of victims and due process of law, Jordan said. "When you have a clash between the requirements of confidentiality and the needs of law enforcement, you have to have some clarity," she said. The written guidelines reinforce what has been accepted practice, said Ed Roussell, a spokesman for Community Works. "My understanding is, where there weren’t specific protocols, now there are. This is just a way to formalize it." Confusion over the issue erupted in December, when Oregon State Police officers said shelter workers obstructed efforts to locate a 21-year-old woman accused of kidnapping her 5-year-old daughter from Wisconsin. A paid shelter worker and a volunteer kept police from finding the mother, Heidi Maerz. They helped send the child, Sierrah D. Foster, to an outside location, a February statement said. Shelter staff indicated they did not know an arrest warrant had been issued for the mother, or that a pickup order existed for the child. One paid worker was suspended, although later reinstated, and the volunteer was asked to leave the agency, Roussell indicated. The issue was referred to Josephine County District Attorney Clay Johnson, who declined to file charges against shelter workers. Instead, representatives from both sides agreed to hammer out new guidelines for cooperation. Final approval is expected soon, said Johnson and Jim Wallen, a lawyer for Community Works. The warrant procedures will help clarify potentially tense situations, Sea said. "Things that happen to us make us think about the big picture," she said. "In my talks with other counties and states, we actually have a very good collaborative response." Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S