The CAC is located only a block away from the Galesburg Police Department, a block from the courthouse, and two blocks from the Knox County Sheriff's Department. Our office is nestled between two stores and across from the Galesburg Public Library. We often have law enforcement officers at our office to coordinate on investigations. Due to all of these factors, we have a safe office. However, we must be prepared for any possibilities the future may hold. The CAC is dedicated to protecting the safety of its employees and our children and families. To this end, here are some possible situations and the CAC policy on how to handle the situation.
Intruder – If someone enters the CAC with the intention to steal or hurt someone, staff should try to move children and families into a back room. Staff has procedures to handle this type of problem. Employees should do everything to avoid injury, without giving away any confidential information of our clients. Children and families should stay calm, move to the exit if possible or follow instructions of the staff. If there is no safe path to the exit, staff and families should meet in the back MDT observation room and lock the door, then alert the Galesburg Police Department for them to help with the intruder.
Aggressive client – If a child victim or caregiver or counseling client becomes aggressive, staff should try different tactics to try to calm the person down as much as possible. If several different methods are used and the person refuses to stop being aggressive, and staff or other people present for interviews or counseling are at risk, all at risk should move to a back room to stay safe. If the aggressive behavior escalates to violence toward staff or others or the person is unable to calm down after a reasonable amount of time, a staff member will call the Galesburg Police Department for assistance. If there is any damage to the office or items belonging to the CAC following such an incident, the person will be asked to pay for repairs.
Unruly staff – If a staff member becomes unruly, staff or clients should alert the Director immediately. The Director will remove the staff member from any rooms where children and families are present. The Director will take several different tactics to approach the staff member in a way that will result in talking about the problem and calming down. The work we do is very difficult and stressful, but that does not justify acting in an unruly way. If the staff member calms down, the Director and that staff member will look for ways to prevent similar escalation in the future. If the staff member is unable to calm down or escalates to aggressive/violent behavior, the Director or other staff member will call the Galesburg Police Department for assistance. If there is any damage to the office or items belonging to the CAC, the staff member will be responsible for the cost of repair. If there is any reason to believe that the staff member has been using substances prior to the incident, the staff member may be asked to take a test to determine if they have used substances. It will be in the Director’s discretion whether a write-up is appropriate, depending on the circumstances.
Offender at the CAC – The CAC has a policy that prohibits alleged offenders from coming to the CAC at any time. If an offender of any age, or an offender's parent, comes to the CAC to ask questions or come for some other purpose, staff will ask the offender to leave. CAC staff will never release information to an offender about an ongoing investigation or case, so there is no reason for an offender to be at the CAC. If the offender will not leave, staff is authorized to contact the Galesburg Police Department for assistance.