Dash from cops - for good cause
COEUR d’ALENE — For a limited time Saturday, it will be legal to run from the police.
To raise awareness for child victims of abuse and neglect, two local organizations have come together for a family-friendly event at McEuen Park on Saturday.
The Idaho State Police 5K Foot Pursuit highlights the partnership between local law enforcement and the North Idaho Court Appointed Special Advocate program.
There are three categories. Winners in the “Hot Pursuit” category will receive medals if they make faster times than uniformed troopers. The 3.1-mile fun run supports victims. Kids, grandparents and strollers are welcome on the family fun walk. Finish-line activities include games and food trucks.
The inspiration for a partnership between the state police and victim advocates came last year.
In December, state police made a traffic stop near Kellogg that involved two adults and two children. The driver had a warrant pending, a gun and one ounce of meth. One of the children in the vehicle appeared sick or injured.
The child, now known as “Baby J,” had been severely beaten and suffered from malnutrition and a brain injury. After months of rehabilitation, Baby J now lives in foster care with a sibling.
“Baby J was a huge eye-opener that showed how drug-related stops could result in finding neglect,” said Kristin Ludwig, director of development for North Idaho CASA. “The drugs that come through Coeur d’Alene and Kootenai County are affecting families and the children that we serve at CASA.”
CASA served 490 children last year. Ludwig said about 200 of those kids were under 5 years old.
“A huge reason why law enforcement has to rescue these children from their home is drug abuse on the parents’ part,” she said.
Domestic Highway Enforcement Task Force seizures of heroin are up 2,000 percent since 2017, according to a state police news release. Meth seizures are up 350 percent in that time. The majority of the child protection cases CASA served in 2018 involve drug use by at least one parent.
“These children suffer greatly,” said K.J. Brant, CEO of First District CASA.
They sometimes live in filthy homes that lack running water or adequate food, Brant said. Their homes tend to be littered with drugs and paraphernalia. Their parents are often high or even unconscious for long periods. These children may witness domestic violence or themselves be victims of assault.
Ludwig said that CASA’s work can sometimes feel like a Band-Aid solution. It serves children who are harmed by drug use in their families. Seeking to prevent that drug use is where the state police come in.
“Illicit drugs come from Mexico via the interstate corridors and find their way onto the streets of North Idaho,” said Capt. John Kempf, ISP’s First District commander. “[Our] task is to interdict the drugs before they are sold within our community.”
This weekend’s event is an opportunity to educate the community about the state police’s efforts to stem the flow of drugs entering North Idaho while promoting CASA’s work to advocate for the children who suffer as a result of drug use in their families.
“Both ISP and CASA are here to fight for these child victims and help these kiddos get through these situations,” Ludwig said.
ISP Foot Pursuit is from 8:30 a.m. to noon Saturday at McEuen Park. The event is open to the community, including those who don’t plan to participate in the races. Runners should register online by midnight tonight.
Info: www.northidahocasa.org/footpursuit