From September 25 to 29, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) collaborated with the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma for the Interdiction for the Protection of Children (IPC) Train the Trainer Course. The five-day program focused on crimes against children, including human trafficking, and aimed to train front-line officers to identify indicators that a child may be a victim, at risk, or missing, while also recognizing high-risk threats to children.
DPS Director Steven McCraw expressed his appreciation for the partnership, saying, "DPS is honored to once again partner with the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma to offer this critically important training to our fellow law enforcement officers who can immediately benefit from it. This partnership means more children in more places have a better chance of being rescued, so together, we can save more victims."
During the training, ten new IPC instructors were certified, consisting of eight law enforcement officers and two victim services coordinators. Four law enforcement agencies from Oklahoma, including the Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police, Chickasaw Nation Lighthorse Police, Johnston County Sheriff’s Office, and Oklahoma Highway Patrol, attended the course to become certified IPC instructors. This marks a significant milestone for the IPC program as these are the first tribal IPC instructors certified to provide IPC training.
The collaboration between certified law enforcement agencies, victim services, and DPS is expected to enhance the protection of children and the interdiction of human traffickers in Oklahoma and Indian Country.
The training was made possible through a grant from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office), which is responsible for advancing community policing practices among state, local, territorial, and tribal law enforcement agencies through grants and resources. The DPS COPS grant aims to develop and exchange innovative community policing practices and expand the knowledge regarding their effectiveness to improve crime-solving skills and public safety strategies.
The Interdiction for the Protection of Children (IPC) Program was developed by DPS to equip front-line law enforcement officers with the skills to identify and rescue endangered or exploited children and to recognize individuals who pose a high-risk threat to children. While law enforcement officers are already proficient in identifying suspicious behaviors related to drugs, weapons, and currency, the IPC program expands their knowledge to include a child-centered and victim-centered approach to address child victimization cases and identify those who harm children.
The IPC program covers a wide range of topics, including understanding victims and offenders, legal issues and authority, working with children, recognizing indicators, intelligence reporting, and engaging with local and state resources like child and victim services. The program's central message is "Stop Waiting for Children to Ask for Your Help."
