DPS records 500th child rescue

AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Highway Patrol Troopers have rescued their 500th child during a traffic stop. On Wednesday, Sgt. Jean Dark told KTBB, “The IPC, Interdiction for the Protection of Children program trains officers to spot indicators that a child may be a victim or is at risk of becoming a victim, and that includes children who are missing, exploited, at-risk or are some way endangered.” IPC marked its 10th anniversary in 2019.

Dark went on to say, “Troopers receive this training through a two-day, 16-hour course that uses a child-centered approach and assess the totality of the circumstances to determine if a child is at risk. It even helps those kids who, maybe are not able to vocalize that they needed help. Without giving any details on it, it is really about having conversations and what questions you ask, and how to analyze the answers that you are getting.” In addition to child rescues, IPC has trained more than 10,000 people in its methods across the U.S. and other countries, prompting groundbreaking changes in how agencies improve accountability and approach child safety concerns.