Safeguarding Children of Arrested Parents

In Buffalo, Osborne is leading an innovative partnership to transform what police do and say when they arrest an adult in the presence of a minor child. From a child’s perspective, the arrest of a parent can look like violence, especially if it involves handcuffs, weapons, force, or disrespect. In addition to its traumatizing effects, witnessing a parent’s arrest can give a child an intensely negative impression of law enforcement, one they may carry into adulthood. The Buffalo Police Department (BPD) has partnered with Osborne to develop and implement trauma-informed policies and procedures designed to minimize the harm done to children when parents are arrested.

Community residents, especially those who have experienced their own arrest or a family member’s arrest, are this project’s essential partners. Osborne assembled a representative advisory board, engaged Voice Buffalo to conduct listening circles for community residents and police, and enlisted Echoes of Incarceration to create training videos that feature interviews with children and other family members able to speak from experience. We are partnering with the University of Buffalo’s Institute on Trauma & Trauma Informed Care to design instructive materials and co-facilitate training for the entire Buffalo Police Department.