CLEVELAND — The union representing Cuyahoga County sheriff’s deputies is warning a revolving door policy at juvenile court could be jeopardizing safety.
Three years ago, News 5 Investigators exposed the practice of kids living at the Jane Edna Hunter Center, the headquarters of the county’s Department of Children and Family Services, while waiting for placement with a foster family.
And more recently, DCFS employees rallied to bring attention to workers’ safety concerns.
But now, there are new concerns.
“We’re dealing with a mess at Jane Edna Hunter,” said Colin Sikon, Business Agent for Laborer’s Local 860 which represents Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Deputies. “My guys have been spit on, bitten, punched, kicked, assaulted.”
All of it, he said, by teen at Jane Edna Hunter.
County surveillance video released Tuesday showed one of the incidents last month.
According to an incident report, deputies were attempting to transport a teen to a facility in Youngstown when that teen refused to cooperate and kicked, tried to punch and bite deputies.
County records show one deputy was treated for neck, nose and jaw pain as well as bruising of the face, scalp and neck as a result.
But when deputies tried to take the teen to juvenile detention for the assault, the incident report said the juvenile court wouldn’t accept her.
Sikon said it’s not the first time deputies who have been assaulted by teens are told by the court to take them back to Jane Edna Hunter.
He calls it a revolving door jeopardizing the safety of deputies.
“Let’s give these kids credit, they are intelligent, and they know that, basically, they are coming right back to where they started,” said Sikon. “So I believe yes, it does embolden them to push the envelope and get more physical with the deputies.”
In a statement, a staff attorney from juvenile court said the court does place teens in the detention center when “the offense is a serious threat to the safety of others,” but added, “Youth in the custody of the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) have extensive trauma histories due to abuse, witnessing violence and neglect,” and “placing them in the detention center can cause them even greater harm.”
But how often teens are turned away from the detention center isn’t clear. The juvenile court spokesperson said the court doesn’t track that.
And while the statement said juvenile court is working with DCFS for a long-term solution to housing teens in county custody, Sikon worries if teens don’t think there are consequences for assaulting deputies, the situation inside Jane Edna Hunter will get worse.
“I’m going to tell you right now, right out of the deputies’ mouths, they are terrified these kids are getting so bold that they’re going to end up having to tase one or worse,” said Sikon. “God forbid someone end up having to get shot, and this is what my deps are terrified [of], they don’t want to have happen.”
